Would you like to know how to say the name of each clothing item you wear? 

Well, don’t go anywhere, because in this article I will teach the name of several clothes in Spanish, ¡y tal vez tire por ahí unas clases de styling! (and I might throw in some styling tips on the way!). 

I. The most common verbs related to clothes in Spanish

First of all, we need to learn some basic verbs but don’t worry… We will learn this de la manera fácil (the easy way)! Yes, you guessed it: using Chunks! 

Quedar  (To fit)

• Este vestido queda espectacular. (This dress fits perfectly.)
• Me queda bien esta camisa. (This shirt fits me well.)

Poner / Ponerse (To put on / To wear)

• Las mujeres nunca tienen qué ponerse. (Women never have anything to wear.)
• Voy a ponerme un suéter. (I’m going to put on a sweater.)

Probar / Probarse (To try on)

• ¿Por qué no te pruebas el pantalón? (Why don’t you try the pants on?)
• Quiero probarme esos pantalones. (I want to try on those pants.)

Quitar / Quitarse (To take off)

• Ya quiero quitarme estos zapatos. (I want to take off these shoes right now.)
• Necesito quitar los zapatos. (I need to take off the shoes.)

Vestir / Vestirse (To get dressed)

• Voy a vestir un short para la fiesta. (I’m going to wear shorts to the party.)
• Ella se viste elegante para la fiesta. (She dresses elegantly for the party.)

Comprar / Comprarse (To buy)

• Ella quiere comprarse un sombrero nuevo. (She wants to buy a new hat.) 
• Voy a comprar una falda nueva. (I’m going to buy a new skirt.)

II. Spanish clothes vocabulary: speak about shopping

Let’s take a break and see some vocabulary related to clothing. Let’s say that fuiste de compras (you went shopping) and you want a certain item your size.

Listen to the full conversation here:

III. Examples of essential clothing items in Spanish

What did you think about that? ¡Siempre hay clientes difíciles! (There are always picky customers!)

Now that you know some vocabulary related to clothes, you’ve graduated, so let’s see each item.

The Spanish-speaking world has some interesting and fun designs when we’re talking about clothes in Spanish. If you’re traveling to Spain, GoAbroad has some advice for you.

IV. Learn more about fashion and clothes in Spanish with FREE Training

¡Muy bien! ¿Me faltó alguna pieza de ropa? (Did I miss a clothing piece?) ¿Qué traes puesto? (What are you wearing?) Let me know in the comments! 

I hope next time you go shopping or want to compliment someone’s clothes, you’ll have all the tools to do so.  You could even use a t-shirt printing service to add some interesting Spanish expressions on your shirt. Best way to learn them, right?!

Feel free to check out the other videos from me and the other Spring Spanish teachers on our channel. We also have a free, more in-depth Spanish training on our website, where you’ll discover the method we use in our Spring Spanish Academy to teach students to speak fluent Spanish. You also get some free sample Spanish lessons there that come straight from our Academy!

Cheat Sheet with 54 essential Spanish Chunks you’ll hear and use yourself in ANY Spanish conversation (and example sentences). Taken from our YouTube Teacher’s most popular videos!

2 Bonus Cheat Sheets with Travel Chunks and Dating/Relationship Chunks

A Spanish Chunking Tutorial showing you the 1 technique that’ll help you make 100% of the Spanish from our videos roll off the tongue in just 5 minutes a day (you’re probably only using 50% of our lessons’ potential right now…)

Yes! Send me my FREE Spanish Chunking Kit

I will also give you the tips and Spanish chunks you need to approach people and find someone you really connect with!

1. Best Apps to practice Spanish conversation

Una de mis maneras favoritas de practicar un idioma (One of my favorite ways to practice a language) is to speak with native speakers. Thanks to the Internet, nowadays, it is very easy to find buddy language partners. 

Las aplicaciones son perfectas para esto (Apps are perfect for this). Have you heard of Tandem.net or HelloTalk? These apps have millions of users y son muy fáciles de usar (and they’re very easy to use). 

You can have video calls with people and chat with them. There is even a functionality to correct your chatting partners. These apps are perfect to do some English-Spanish language exchange: la mitad del tiempo hablas en español (half the time you speak Spanish) and the other half in English. 

2. Social Media Groups

There are a lot of Facebook groups where you can find a tandem partner. You just need to type into the search bar “tandem Spanish” y unirte al grupo que más te acomode (and join whichever group you feel most comfortable with). 

No seas tímido y preséntate en alguno de estos grupos (Don’t be shy and introduce yourself in one of these groups). Don’t worry! Déjame echarte una mano (Literally: let me throw you a hand; more idiomatically, let me help you out).

• ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? Soy Cory y me gustaría practicar mi español. ¿Algún valiente? (Hi there! I’m Cory and I would like to practice my Spanish. Anyone interested?). Ofrezco inglés a cambio. (I can offer English in return.)

CHUNK ALERT!

You can also ask:

• ¿Puedes echarme una mano? (Can you help me?) 
• Mi amigo ayer me echó la mano. (Yesterday, my friend helped me out.)

3. Spring Spanish Inner Circle

Sé que nunca nos abandonarás, y una de las razones es que en Spring Spanish (I know you will never abandon us, and one of the reasons is that at Spring Spanish) we organize speaking groups —with Spanish students and our Spanish tutors— for all members of our Spring Spanish Inner Circle! 

They take place on Zoom. We come up with conversation starters, give you some chunks to practice and then, let you practice with fellow students and native-speaking teachers. For instance:

• ¿Qué es lo que más te cuesta al estudiar español? (What’s the hardest part of studying Spanish?)
• ¿Cuál es tu comida favorita y qué lleva? Por cierto, ¡la mía es la comida mexicana! (What’s your favorite food and what are the ingredients? By the way, mine is Mexican food!)

Además de eso (On top of that), members can hang out in the community, practice their Spanish there, and get extra flashcards and resources for all of our lessons. 

4. Do you want something local? Try Meetup!

Yo usé este sistema cuando vivía en Los Países Bajos (I used this system when I lived in the Netherlands). As a matter of fact, I met my ex-boyfriend in one of those groups (Aló, Pierre! Ca va?), but believe me, that’s not mandatory! 

Ya, con seriedad (Enough, seriously)! Meetup has a website and an app to check the groups and to book your attendance… and the best? You can even organize your own group there! 

Maybe you want to talk about La guerra de las galaxias (Star Wars) in Spanish or learn about a specific country. ¡Tú decides (You decide)! 

But to give you some more ideas, you can create a tandem group where you invite Spanish speakers and English speakers. This way it will be more interesting for Spanish natives, but it could also be something else where Spanish is the language of communication like “Yoga in Spanish” if your level is a bit higher, and you don’t mind mixing Sanskrit with Spanish.

5. More options to practice Spanish conversation: Italki, Duolingo, Couchsurfing & other platforms

With Italki you can find a private teacher. They have lots of teachers there, and you can choose the best time for your lessons con profesores nativos (with native teachers). 

Duolingo is free, but you can also talk with some locals, and there’s a feature where natives correct the translations, and their forum is big on questions. 

Other great international community platforms, such as Internations.org, have expats from different countries that meet offline and online. You can find, for instance, expats from Spanish-speaking countries in your own country there, ¿no es fantástico? (isn’t it fantastic?)
¡Oh!, y otro del que seguro has escuchado (Oh! And another one you have probably heard of): Couchsurfing, where people find others to hang out with on their travels or a “couch” to crash on. Tienen reuniones regulares y encontrarás muchas personas internacionales y multilingües allí (They have regular meetups, and you will find a lot of international and multilingual people there).

En este artículo vamos a explorar (In this article we’re going to explore) 5 Amazon originals you must watch if you’re learning Spanish. I’ve chosen one TV show or movie of different genres, so I hope you can find at least one good recommendation. 

I’ll also give you two  easy things you should do while watching to make sure you discover and memorize new Spanish chunks that you can start using in conversations yourself! 

1. MasterChef Junior México 

Te voy a decir un secreto (I’m going to tell you a secret): I love reality TV competition shows, and I love it even more when these shows take place in Latinoamérica, like MasterChef Junior México.

Ya sabes la mecánica (Lit., You know the mechanics; more idiomatically, You know the drill): a group of participants —en este caso, niños (in this case, children)— compete for the MasterChef title. 

Lots of personal stories there, which I think are not only a great way to learn Spanish, but also an insight into Mexican families. There, you can find a good amount of “proper slang” that we natives use, but that can also be said on national TV, on a children’s show. 

It’s of course a great show if you are into cooking, y recordarás y aprenderás nombres de vegetales y frutas (and you will remember, and learn, names of vegetables and fruits). 

Oh, and two things:

Usa subtítulos en español, no en inglés (Use Spanish subtitles, not English ones). 

If you do so, you can listen and read at the same time, and you’ll understand much more, unless you are a beginner… only then are you allowed to use English subtitles! 

Make sure you’re listening to Spanish, though, and don’t ignore what is being said by only reading the subtitles in English; otherwise, it will have no effect on your Spanish skills at all. 

Pay attention to the phrases (or chunks) the characters are using! 

Whenever you hear somebody saying “¡Qué onda! ¿Cómo te ha ido?” (What’s up! How have you been?) You’ll think “Ah, now I know how a Spanish native speaker says it!” 

Escribe y memoriza la frase para que después la uses tú (Write the phrase down and memorize it, so you can start using it yourself later on). You don’t have to do this all the time, but try to find a couple of chunks in every episode you watch.

2. Cuando los hijos regresan (When the children come back)

A comedy movie —aunque padre diga que es más bien de terror (even if father says it’s more of a horror movie)— that tells the story of Manuel and Adelina, an elderly couple that is ready to enjoy retirement and themselves… when, suddenly, their three children, por equis o por ye (lit., because of X or Y; more idiomatically, for one reason or another), return home to live with them. So, the couple must find a way to get them out again! 

Debo confesar que no fui fan de la trama: de repente se pone un poco dramático el asunto (I must confess I wasn’t a fan of the plot: it suddenly becomes a bit dramatic), but it delivers, and it has the amazing performance of one of the most beloved actors here in Mexico, who passed away hace un par de años (a couple of years ago): Fernando Luján. 

For more chunks like this, download our free Essential Spanish Chunking Kit! It contains a list of the Spanish chunks used most frequently by native speakers in conversations.

Cheat Sheet with 54 essential Spanish Chunks you’ll hear and use yourself in ANY Spanish conversation (and example sentences). Taken from our YouTube Teacher’s most popular videos!

2 Bonus Cheat Sheets with Travel Chunks and Dating/Relationship Chunks

A Spanish Chunking Tutorial showing you the 1 technique that’ll help you make 100% of the Spanish from our videos roll off the tongue in just 5 minutes a day (you’re probably only using 50% of our lessons’ potential right now…)

Yes! Send me my FREE Spanish Chunking Kit

3. Cuna de lobos (Cradle of wolves) 

¡Prepárate para una verdadera novela mexicana! (Get ready for a true Mexican soap opera!) Yes, the kind that has made us famous all over the world… I even have friends from Romania who know novelas mexicanas (Mexican soap operas)!

Here is the synopsis: Catalina Creel, a woman whose beauty equals her evil, hides a great secret for which she is willing to kill… even her own family. A bisexual son; a stepson who, according to her, wants to see her finished; and an innocent girl who has been deceived are the pieces that Catalina will move in her deadly game.

This is a remake of one of the most popular telenovelas (soap operas) of all times, filmada en 1986, era una hora sagrada en la casa de la abuela (filmed in 1986, and it was a sacred hour at my grandma’s house). 

Remember me when you hear the infamous sentence: “Te pasó lo que le pasa a la gente estúpida y ordinaria: te enamoraste” (“What happens to stupid and ordinary people happened to you: you fell in love”).

4. Hernán 

Este tal vez sea mi show favorito de esta lista (This might be my favorite show on the list)… It’s about the conquest of Mexico and each episode is told by someone who knew Hernán Cortés, the conqueror, closely. 

¿Cómo pudo un solo hombre, con un puñado de soldados, subyugar a todo un imperio? (How could one man, with a few hundred soldiers, subdue an empire of warriors) to the peak of his glory?

If you like history, this is the show for you, but it also has a lot of action and intrigue, and the actor Óscar Jaenada… ¡madre mía!… pero qué buen actor es el tipo, ¡de verdad! (Holy mother! He’s such a good actor, for real!)

Trigger warning for violencia, muertes y traumas explícitos… y demás de esas cosas delicadas (violence, explicit deaths and explicit trauma… and other sensitive stuff).

This is a Spanish-Mexican production, so the accent will be quite strong… and as a plus, sometimes Náhuatl and Maya, dos lenguas nativas de México, son habladas (two native Mexican languages, are spoken). 

5. Los tres huastecos (The three huasteco men)

It’s an honor for me to introduce you to the movie Los tres huastecos, from 1948! 

This film belongs to la Época de Oro del cine mexicano (the Golden Age of Mexican cinema), a period in the history of Mexican cinema (between 1930 and 1969), when the Mexican film industry reached high levels of production, quality and economic success, además de haber ganado reconocimiento internacionalmente (besides having gained recognition internationally). 

This is an amazing tale about triplets raised separately in three villages in La Huasteca, a region in Mexico. Lorenzo is an atheist cowboy, Juan de Dios is a parish priest, and Víctor is a captain in the army. 

Mexican superstar Pedro Infante played three separate roles, as each of these three individual triplets, and it’s such a special movie, where you can see how people used to dress in the towns back then. 

¡No olvides anotar todos los chunks que descubras si es que te animas a ver esta película! (Don’t forget to write down all the chunks you discover if you decide to watch this movie!) 

If Hernán was my favorite show on Amazon Prime, this must be my favorite movie!

Homework to learn Spanish watching Amazon originals

¡No te asustes! Seguro que esta tarea será de tu agrado (Don’t be scared! You will certainly like this homework). 

I would like for you to watch one of these movies or TV shows, and write down at least one or two chunks you’ve learned. Then, let me know in the comments which ones these were, and why you liked them, ¿vale (okay)?

Need more great Spanish shows to watch? Then, check out teacher Paulisima’s article about 5 great Netflix Originals in Spanish. She has some more tricks on how to effectively learn Spanish with TV Shows.

Entonces, ¿qué significa eso para ti (So, what does that mean for you), as a foreigner learning Spanish? Well, if you speak formal textbook Spanish, yes, people will understand you, and that’s fine, supongo (I guess)… 

But if you learn how to use some of that secret street Spanish, you’ll amaze native speakers and instantly make them open up to you and like you. It’s your ticket to more friendships and real warm interactions with Spanish speakers!

So, in today’s article I will teach you Spanish chunks that will make you an insider in Mexico (and the textbook alternatives you should avoid).

1. Greeting in Spanish

A Spanish textbook would probably teach you “Buenas tardes. Mi nombre es Cory. ¿Cuál es el tuyo?” (Good afternoon. My name is Cory. What is yours?) to greet someone.

Seamos honestos (Let’s be honest)… Unless I’m in a really formal situation, you won’t often hear me say that. We like to make it more… casual, like this:

• Hey, ¿cómo te ha ido? (Hey, how have you been?)
  • ¡Qué onda! Tiene mucho que no te veo. (What’s up! It’s been a while since I last saw you.) 

• Soy Cory. ¡Mucho gusto! (I’m Cory. Nice to meet you!)
  • ¡Encantado! (Nice to meet you!)

2. Saying you’re cold or hot

Here’s how your textbook will probably teach you this: 

• Yo tengo mucho calor / Yo tengo mucho frío (I am very cold / I am very hot).

Now, this is what will happen on the street in real life:

First of all, in Spanish we don’t really say Yo tengo (I have / I am); in fact, we usually don’t say the word Yo (I) and just say tengo. The verb conjugation tengo already makes it clear I’m talking about myself!

Apart from that, we have some more colorful ways to talk about heat or cold:

• ¡No manches! ¡Qué frío tengo! (No kidding (lit. Don’t stain)! I’m so cold!)
• Hace tanto frío que mis dedos se congelan (It’s so cold my fingers are freezing) 
• ¡Qué bochorno! (What sultriness!) 

3. Warning someone

The “textbook” way of warning someone is saying “¡Cuidado!”, but on the street, we normally say things like:

• ¡Aguas! ¡No te vayas a caer! (Literally: Waters! You’re going to fall!)

Let me tell you the origin of this funny Mexican expression…

Many years ago, there was a modern sewage treatment system in Mexico. During this time, people would collect “dirty” water in their home and before throwing it out into the street from their window or door, they would shout “¡aguas!” (waters!) to alert any passerby. 

So, if you ever hear “¡aguas!”, you might want to get out of the way lo más rápido que puedas (as fast as you can). 

For more chunks like this, download our free Essential Spanish Chunking Kit, where we’ve compiled the most important Spanish chunks you’ll need in any conversation.

4. Really?

Textbooks often tell you to say “realmente” if you want to say “really”… y créeme (and believe me), we don’t say that to express disbelief or to look for assurance.

Here’s the street-Spanish version:

• Mi hermano se casó con su novia después de solo dos meses de noviazgo (My brother got married after dating his girlfriend for only just 2 months)
  • ¿A poco se casaron? (Did they really get married?)

• ¡La semana pasada gané la lotería! (Last week, I won the lottery!)
  • No, ¿de veras? (No, really?) 

• Me peleé con Fernanda el otro día (I got into a big discussion with Fernanda the other day)
  • ¿Neta te cae mal? (You really don’t like her, do you?)

All these expressions mean “Really?”, but in a cooler way.

This is a great example of a chunk, and the same way you can use “me cae mal” (I don’t like him/her), you may say “me cae bien” (I like him/her).

5. Hablar del cansancio (Speaking about tiredness)

Let’s first look at what the textbook would tell you: Hoy me siento cansado (Today, I’m tired).

Seamos honestos (Let’s be honest)… how many times have you used tiredness as an excuse, when in reality you were being flojo (lazy)? 

In Mexico, we own our laziness and say things like:

• Cory, ¡ve a limpiar tu habitación! (Cory, go clean up your room!)
  • Tengo hueva (I have roe) —And no, it doesn’t make any sense, but it’s one of the words that will make you sound like a real local! 

• ¿Por qué no has hecho ejercicio hoy? (Why haven’t you done your workout today?)
  • Tengo fiaca (I’m lazy) 

• ¿Quieres ir por unos tragos hoy? (Do you want to go for a drink tonight?)
  • No, estoy molida (No, I’m crushed) —Of course, it might be that you are exhausted, so you can use that expression and sound like a real local. 

Quiz time! to practice textbook Spanish vs real conversations

Ahora veamos si te he enseñado bien (Now let’s see if I taught you well)… with a little quiz comprising 5 questions. 

Try to answer them based on what you just learned, and don’t forget to tell me your score en los comentarios (in the video’s comments).

1. Esta mañana me he levantado con ________ (This morning I’ve woken up feeling lazy)
2. ¡Qué _______! ¿Cómo has estado? (What’s up! How have you been?)
3. ¡Ay, no manches! ¡__________ tengo! (No kidding! I’m so cold!)
4. ¿___________ estuviste de vacaciones? (Did you really go on a holiday?)
5. No quiero hablar con él. Me __________ . (I don’t want to speak with him. I dislike him.)

¡Muy bien! ¿Cuántas adivinaste? (How many did you guess?) 

Now, listen: I taught you a lot of street Spanish from Mexico, but I haven’t even mentioned the most used slang word in Mexico yet… madre! Yes, we use our mothers to say we’re sick of someone, we think something’s awesome, or something is horrible… and much more! 

If you’re ever around Mexicans speaking Spanish, you have to know how we Mexicans use the word madre, so I want you read the article prepared by my colleague María Fernanda. She’ll teach you the 13 most important street Spanish chunks with the word madre!

Pero (But)… if you want to always get the plural right in a conversation, while speaking, ¡NO quiero que las aprendas de memoria! (I DON’T want you to learn them by heart!)

We’re going to take a different approach that’ll help you bypass these rules, so you don’t even have to think about them while speaking Spanish... you just need to pay attention to the word endings… like I’ll show you now!

1) Add an S at the end of the word to make plurals in Spanish

Here’s the complicated rule: If a singular noun ends en una vocal sin acento (in an unstressed vowel), that is, A, E, I, O, U or in stressed vowels (á, é or ó), then the rule is agrega una S (add an S) at the end of the word to make it plural. 

That sounds like a textbook, ¿verdad (right)?, pero es fácil (but it’s easy)… Let’s see some examples: 

• Las casas de allá son bonitas (The houses over there are pretty) 
• México tiene muchos habitantes (México has many inhabitants)
• Los dulces me gustan mucho (I like candies a lot)

And that’s the trick: you won’t be able to remember the rules anyway when you’re under the pressure of an actual conversation… So, you’re better off listening to (or reading) TONS of examples where Spanish native speakers are using the plural correctly!

That way, your brain and ears will get used to seeing and hearing them properly. If you then memorize such examples in chunks, your brain will start doing it correctly automatically!

So, for the rest of this article, pay attention to the actual examples and memorize them! 

If you’d like some help with that, we’ve created flashcard decks containing the chunks from this article and all our other articles and videos for all members of the Spring Spanish Inner Circle.

2) Add an S or ES at the end of the word to make Spanish plurals

If a singular noun ends in í or ú, quiere decir, con acento (that is, with an accent mark), you can add -S or -ES to pluralize the word…  

Puedes o no usar la terminación -íes y -úes (You may or may not use the ending -íes and -úes), but it sounds fancier…

Pay attention to the examples:

• Los israelíes son de Israel (Israelis are from Israel)
• Los jabalíes son considerados una plaga porque destruyen las granjas (Wild boars are considered a pest because they destroy farms)
• Los bambúes también son llamados bambús (Bamboos are also called “Bambús”)

3) Nouns ending in consonants

Done with the vowels… ¡siguiente! (next!) Let’s learn about words that end en una consonante (in a consonant). If a singular noun ends in a vowel, plus Y or the consonants L, R, N, D, Z, J, S, X, or CH, add -es.

• Los reyes de España visitarán México (The King and Queen of Spain will visit Mexico)
• Yo tengo un video acerca de los meses en español (I have a video about the months in Spanish)
• Las luces de la casa están fundidas (The lights in the house are blown)

It was super painful, and when I tried to tell this sad story to English speakers, I realized that there’s no specific word for “fundir” — although some people use “blown” for that… So, next time something sad happens to you, you know what to blame… ¡al foco fundido! (the blown light bulb!)

Nota importante (Important note): If a singular noun ends in Z, you must change the Z to C before adding -es:

• actriz – actrices (actress – actresses)
• eficaz – eficaces (effective – effective)
• juez – jueces (judge – judges)

4) Nouns ending in a group of consonants

If a singular noun ends in a consonant cluster (that is, more than one consonant at the end of the word) o una vocal (or a vowel) plus a consonant other than the ones mentioned above, ¿adivina qué? (guess what?)… ¡Sólo agrega una S! (Only add an S!) 

• Los icebergs son mucho más grandes dentro del agua (Icebergs are much larger in the water)
• Los mamuts están extintos (Mammoths are extinct)
• Uno de los cracks del fútbol argentino es Maradona (One of the best Argentinian soccer players is Maradona) 

Time for a Quiz!

Alright, now it’s time to test your skills… a quiz for you to fill in the plurals! 

1. México tiene muchos ____________. (Mexico has a lot of inhabitants.)
2. Los ___________ son de Israel. (Israelis are from Israel.)
3. Yo tengo un video acerca de los ___________  en español. (I have a video about the months in Spanish.)
4. Las ___________ de la casa están fundidas. (The lights in the house are blown.)
5. Los ______ están extintos. (Mammoths are extinct.)

How many did you get right? Tell me in the video’s comments! 

Muy… bueno… buen… bien… Hiciste un… bien trabajo… buen trabajo… bueno trabajo?

Frustrating, right? Well, my friend, after reading this piece, no te volverá a pasar (that won’t ever happen again), because I’ll show you simple techniques to always know when to use bien, buen, or bueno.

Even better: you won’t even have to remember the rules in conversations… You’ll just use it correctly automatically! To prove it, you’ll get a quiz at the end, so you can show off your new skills.

1. When to use bueno in Spanish

Esta palabra puede ser un poco engañosa (This word might be a bit tricky) for non-Spanish speakers. Bueno o Buena is an adjective, y recuerda que un adjetivo (and remember that an adjective) describes a noun: usually people, animals, objects, or concepts. 

Bueno o buena generally indicates someone or something is “good, nice, kind, okay”, among other things. Por ejemplo (For example):

• Jagger es un perro muy bueno (Jagger is a very good dog) —So, bueno describes un perro.
• Fumar no es bueno para tu salud (Smoking is not good for your health) —Here, bueno describes fumar, a verb.
• Esta temporada, las naranjas estuvieron buenas (This season, the oranges were good) —Here, buenas describes las naranjas (plural, feminine… that’s why it’s buenAS).

CHUNK ALERT! 

Talking about bueno, the best example I can give you is “¡Buenos días!” (Good day!)

It uses the plural form of bueno. Another easy-peasy chunk? ¡Buenas noches! (Good night!), and as you can see here, we are using the plural feminine form. 

These are the kinds of sentences that natives use all the time, and if you just learn them by heart, you won’t be so confused anymore! 

2. When to use buen in Spanish

Okay, so when exactly would you use the word buen? Buen always precedes a masculine noun, re-buen tip, ¿no? (such a good tip, isn’t it?) That’s basically it! 

The problem is remembering the rule and applying it in conversations, so just learn chunks with buen by heart and you won’t even HAVE to think about the grammar rule! 

Here we go:

• ¡Buen trabajo, amigo mío! (Good job, my friend!)
• ¡México es un buen país para visitar! (Mexico is a good country to visit!)
• Este fin de semana hará buen tiempo (This weekend the weather will be good)

3. When to use bien in Spanish

What about bien? Bien is an adverb and used, for example, to modify a verb: 

• ¡Bailas muy bien! (You dance very well!)

CHUNK ALERT!

Muy bien is a chunk we use all the time. Learn it by heart to always get it right! 

Use bien to answer questions like ¿Cómo estás? (How are you?) or ¿Cómo te va? (How is it going?). In this case, the answer could be ¡Bien, gracias! (Fine, thanks!)

You can use bien to talk about your health: 

• Hoy no me siento muy bien (I don’t feel very good today)
• ¿Te encuentras bien? (Are you okay?)

Bien is not only used when something is done correctly or properly, but also when something isn’t. Veamos ambos ejemplos (Let’s see both examples):

• ¡Muy bien hecho! (Well done!)  
• Mi laptop no funciona bien (My laptop doesn’t work well)

Sometimes, bien is also used as a synonym for muy (very):

• Esta carne está bien jugosa (This meat is very juicy) —Bien jugosa is the same as muy jugosa.
• Lizzie termina bien cansada después del trabajo (Lizzie ends up very tired after work) —Bien cansada is the same as muy cansada.

That’s a lot, right? Look out for more chunks in our videos —and whenever you hear Spanish— and learn them by heart. If you’d like to memorize the examples from this article with flashcards, check out our Spring Spanish Inner Circle: all our Inner Circle students get flashcards and transcripts for each lesson we post on YouTube! Yes, also this one!

Oh! Here’s one last bonus tip: 

As a rule, never use bien with the verb ser (to be), use bueno/buena (or the plural version) instead:

• Ella es buena means “She is a good person” 
• Ella está buena means “She is hot” —as in good-looking, but that’s not something you want to say when tus suegros (your in-laws) are around! 

Quiz Time with Bien vs Buen vs Bueno

¡Muy bien! Ready for the quiz? Vamos a ver si te he enseñado bien (Let’s see if I taught you well):

1. Mi profesora de español es muy ________ (buena) 
   (My Spanish teacher is very good)

2. Ayer me fue _______ (bien) en el examen 
   (Yesterday, I did well at the test) 

CHUNK ALERT!

“Me fue bien” is an expression Spanish native speakers use to say they are having a good day, but it doesn’t have an exact translation. Again, a perfect example of a chunk to learn by heart! 

3. Ángel es un _____ (buen) nutriólogo 
   (Ángel is a good nutritionist) 

4. Te tengo una ______ (buena) noticia
   (I have good news for you)

5. Hoy amanecí de ______ (buen) humor
   (Today, I woke up in a good mood) 

How many did you answer bien (well)? How many no fueron buenas respuestas (weren’t good answers)? Let me know in the video’s comments! 

Alright, so what’s next? 

You might’ve seen the chunk “muy bien” come back several times in this article. Many language learners get it confused with “mucho bien”, though… 

Do YOU know when to use muy and when to use mucho? If not, Spring Spanish teacher Mariana has prepared a piece for you explaining when to use which, with lots of examples and, of course, with our chunking trick to remember the right one every single time.

Fun fact: more than 500 HOURS of videos are published on YouTube every minute! Crazy, right? 

So, in that ocean of content, how are you ever supposed to find the GOOD videos that’ll help you get fluent in Spanish? No te preocupes (Don’t worry!) Cory al rescate (Cory to the rescue): I’ve done the difficult research work so you don’t have to… 

1. Butterfly Spanish

Una de mis favoritas (One of my favorites), Ana is a great teacher! She’s so sweet and has a way to explain things that are, de hecho, muy prácticas (practical, actually). 

She has been around since 2013 and has a video on every topic you can imagine. Ella mezcla español con inglés (She mixes Spanish with English), and I like to think of her teaching method as “classic” yet entertaining. She uses a white board, so you can feel like you are in a real classroom! 

En mi opinión (In my opinion), her lessons are more focused on grammar, but without losing that touch of fun! One of my favourite videos of her is Learn 20+ SPANISH VERBS for touch, sight, sound, smell, and taste.  

2. Spanish and Go!

Now, if there’s a “power couple” in the English/Spanish language world, ¡ellos seguro lo son! (they must be it!) 

May is a Mexican English and Spanish teacher, and Jim, su esposo (her husband), just had to get away from Minnesota winters… They have amazing traveling videos, some to the USA and some to exotic places such as Puerto Rico (and yes, they have a video explaining why it is so hard to understand the Ticos!)

I would say that their main focus son las experiencias de viajes (are travel experiences), and the Spanish that you would need to not get lost in translation! 

They film themselves in several situations, and also have Vlogs and Q&As videos. No se centran mucho en la gramática (they’re not so focused on grammar), but more on how natives would speak. 

“Gringos Try Mexican Candy and Snacks (Mazapán, Takis, and more)” would be my favorite video of them… I mean, renuncié a darle de mis dulces a mis amigos extranjeros (I gave up giving my foreign friends some of my Mexican sweets) because they never valued them… but that video is quite hilarious! 

3. Why not Spanish?

A veces (Sometimes), channels have a not so traditional beginning, and this might be the case with Why not Spanish, since Maria, una maestra de inglés colombiana (a Colombian English teacher) was teaching Spanish to Cody, a native English speaker. 

What I enjoy a lot about their videos is the immersion in Colombian culture and how some words used over there are not so, let’s say, proper in Spanish. 

Their teaching method is a mix of reglas gramaticales y palabras comunes en español (grammar rules and common words in Spanish), using everyday situations to give better examples. 

I recently learned about “El dia de las velitas” or the Day of the candles, a Colombian celebration, and they have an amazing video explaining to foreigners what this festival is about. 

I would say their videos are as much for beginners as they are for advanced learners, since they are always mixing English and Spanish. 

4. Spanish with Vicente

If you are studying for the DELE exam, ¡este es tu chico! (this is your guy!) 

Vicente is our first Spaniard on the list and his videos are mainly in Spanish. Not only does he have a YouTube channel, pero también un podcast y un blog (but also a Podcast and a blog). 

I would consider Vicente’s videos are for people who already have some Spanish knowledge, porque, como lo dije antes (because, as I said before), his videos are fully in Spanish, and they cover a wide range of topics, like my favorite: “Cómo regatear en España” (How to bargain in Spain).

Believe me, this was very informative to watch! Since he is a full-on teacher that helps students pass Spanish certifications. His videos are quite focused on gramática y vocabulario (grammar and vocabulary). 

5. Español con María

Otra maestra colombiana (Another Colombian teacher), María has such a spirit that it is a joy to watch her channel. 

She is not as focused on grammar as Vicente is, but she will nonetheless teach you about verbs and conjugations. She likes to go on adventures and a lot of her videos are about her travel and experiences in Colombia y otros lugares de Latinoamérica (and other places in Latin America). 

She mixes Spanish and English, so I think I will recommend this channel for any Spanish level. My favorite video of her has to be when she goes scuba diving in Santa Marta.

6. SergiMartinSpanish

El siguiente en nuestra lista es (Next on our list is) Sergi Martin, from Barcelona, which, by the way, es una de mis ciudades favoritas en el mundo (is one of my favorite cities in the world).

Sergi is a Spanish teacher, and his videos are usually in Spanish. Él es encantador (He’s super charming) and not only talks about grammar rules, but also has many videos with historical themes, such as “Si Colón no hubiera llegado a América, ¿qué hubiera pasado?” (If Columbus had not arrived in America, what would have happened?), a video that raises questions such as “What language would be spoken in Colombia if Columbus hadn’t arrived in America?”

He also has short videos where he talks acerca de expresiones típicas (about typical expressions) from different countries. It’s a great option if you are in a hurry but still want to study some Spanish! I would say his videos are for any level of Spanish since the majority of them have subtitles, which makes it easier for any level. 

7. Superholly

Si estás interesado en aprender español, y creo que sí que lo estás (If you are interested in learning Spanish, and I think you are), there’s a big possibility that you know Superholly’s channel. 

Habla perfecto español e inglés (She speaks perfect Spanish and English) and she’s also known as the “meme girl” because she once made a video about how to pronounce brands that went viral in Mexico.  

Spoiler alert! She also has videos about the Náhuatl language, una de las lenguas autóctonas de México (one of the indigenous languages in Mexico). In one of these videos, with Náhuatl speakers, they explore certain words in Spanish that come from it… like aguacate, which you might recognize since the word in English sounds similar… Yes, you guessed! Avocado!

Avocado comes from the Spanish word aguacate, which in turn comes from the Náhuatl “ahuacatl” and yes, I learned this with Superholly. Here’s the video in case you would like to know more. She also has DYI videos where you can learn, for example, how to do una lámpara de nube (a cloud lamp) and many other nice things. Her videos are also manly in Spanish, but others are fully in English. 

8. Bonus: the best Spanish YouTube channels for beginners – Spring Spanish! 

El mejor canal (The best Channel): Spring Spanish. 

Vale, vale, podría no ser imparcial (Okay, okay, I might be biased), but on our channel you can find amazing Spanish teachers, like me… and Maria Fernanda, Mariana, Juan, and Paulisima. 

We teach Spanish through chunks, which helps you speak Spanish without translating in your head or thinking about grammar rules! The cool thing is: we can teach these chunks while talking about interesting topics, culture, sometimes even through games, so we can always keep entertaining you! 

Alright! ¿Has encontrado algo que te gusta? (Did you find anything you like?) 

Of course there are even more great Spanish teaching YouTube channels. Since I couldn’t cover them all in this video, I have asked my colleague María Fernanda to share some more.

That’s it, ¡basta! Time to tell your waiter what you think of their service… solo que hay un problemita (there is only a little problem): he only speaks Spanish… What now?

¡No te preocupes! (Don’t worry!) Spanish is an excellent language for passionately complaining… and I, Cory from Spring Spanish, will give you all the chunks you need to complain in Spanish to your waiter or anybody else in the Spanish-speaking world!

In many Spanish-speaking regions, complaints can range from small inconveniences to large grievances. Common complaints involve things like poor customer service, slow delivery times, quality issues with a product or service, and unfair prices. People also frequently complain about wide-reaching social and political issues. But no matter the complaint, Spanish speakers are known for their passionate conversations about the topics that matter most to them.

1. When your food is cold: complain in a restaurant

Sometimes, at a restaurant es necesario quejarse si, por ejemplo (it is necessary to complain if, for example), el servicio está lento (the service is slow) or your food is not what you expected:

CUSTOMER
Disculpe, pedí mi comida sin cebolla. ¿Podría cambiarme el plato, por favor? 
(Sorry, I ordered my food without onion. Could you change my dish, please?) 

WAITER
Enseguida, señorita.
(Right away, Miss.)

CUSTOMER
¡Es la segunda vez que mi café está frío en este restaurante!
Mesero, ¡tráigame otro, por favor!
 (This is the second time that my coffee is cold in this restaurant!
Waiter, bring me another one, please!)

WAITER
Disculpe, señorita. Ahorita le traigo otro.
(I am sorry, Miss. I will bring it right away.)

By the way, now you know you have to say mi café está frío, it won’t surprise you we also say…

• Mi café está caliente (My coffee is hot)
• El día está frío (The day is cold)

See how this works? Easy, right? If you’d like to learn more chunks like this, you must download our free Essential Spanish chunking kit! It contains lists full of the most frequently used Spanish chunks that’ll help you speak Spanish without thinking about grammar all the time.

Cheat Sheet with 54 essential Spanish Chunks you’ll hear and use yourself in ANY Spanish conversation (and example sentences). Taken from our YouTube Teacher’s most popular videos!

2 Bonus Cheat Sheets with Travel Chunks and Dating/Relationship Chunks

A Spanish Chunking Tutorial showing you the 1 technique that’ll help you make 100% of the Spanish from our videos roll off the tongue in just 5 minutes a day (you’re probably only using 50% of our lessons’ potential right now…)

Yes! Send me my FREE Spanish Chunking Kit

2. How to complain in Spanish: At the airport

¿Quién no ama viajar? (Who doesn’t like traveling?), but unfortunately, sometimes airports might be stressful. Overall, when they’ve lost your baggage or you find out your flight is delayed:

TRAVELER
El vuelo tiene seis horas de retraso.
¡Qué pésimo servicio! Exijo una compensación.
(The flight is delayed 6 hours.
What a bad service! I demand compensation.)

CUSTOMER SERVICE
Sí, de hecho, existe una compensación por cada hora de retraso.
Pase por aquí, por favor.
(Yes, as a matter of fact, there is a compensation for each hour your flight is delayed.
This way, please.)

TRAVELER
Señorita, creo que mi maleta está extraviada. Vengo del vuelo AM026. 
(Miss, I think my suitcase is missing. My flight was AM026.)

CUSTOMER SERVICE
Lo lamentamos. Por favor llene este formulario.
(We are very sorry. Please fill out this form.)

3. Complain in Spanish at the hotel

Nice, you’ve made it, and you are finally about to have some rest at your hotel, but you might encounter some issues, so you should know the basics: 

GUEST
El baño no tiene agua caliente. 
(There’s no hot water in the shower.)

HOST
¡Una disculpa! ¡En este momento llamo al fontanero! 
(Apologies! I’ll call the plumber right away!)

GUEST
¿Cómo que no está nuestra reservación? ¡Tiene un mes que la hicimos! 
(How come you can’t find our reservation? We made it a month ago!)

RECEPTIONIST
No se preocupe; respetaremos su reserva.
(Don’t worry! We’ll respect your booking.)

GUEST
La habitación que reservamos tiene vista al mar, pero la que nos dieron da a la calle; queremos un cambio de habitación. 
(The room we booked had a sea view, but the one we got has a street view.
We want a change of room.) 

HOST
¡Qué pena! En un momento le asigno una habitación con vista al mar.
(We’re sorry! I’ll assign you a sea view room in no time.)

GUEST
El clima no sirve, y hace mucho calor.
(The A/C doesn’t work, and it’s really hot.)

HOST
No se preocupe. Mantenimiento ya va para allá.
(Don’t worry. Maintenance is on its way.)

Learning that will help you say:

• La tele no sirve (The TV doesn’t work)
• Mi teléfono no sirve (My phone doesn’t work) 

…and many other sentences.

4. When you had enough: complain in Spanish about your daily life

Of course we don’t need to be having leisure time for things to go not so smoothly. Every day we can be in situations where it is necessary to complain. Don’t you hate when people try to jump the line en el súper (at the grocery store)?

CUSTOMER 1
¡Hey! ¡No se meta en la fila! Allá está la cola. 
(Hey! Don’t try to jump in the line! You have to wait.)

CUSTOMER 2
¡Oh, lo siento! No me di cuenta de que había una fila.
(Oops! I didn’t realize there was a line. Apologies!)

…or when you go around and around on a parking lot: 

• Este es un enorme problema de la plaza: ¡nunca hay donde estacionarse! (This is a huge problem at the mall: there’s nowhere to park!)

What about when you have noisy neighbors? 

NEIGHBOR 1
Oiga, yo trabajo mañana muy temprano. Bájele a su música o ¡voy a llamar a la policía! (Hey, I have to work very early tomorrow. Turn the music down or else I’m calling the police!)

NEIGHBOR 2
¡Perdón! No nos dimos cuenta. Ya le bajamos.
(We’re sorry! We didn’t realize how loud it was. We’ll turn it down.)

But what to do if you get great service, though? In a restaurant or hotel or anywhere else? Or what if you just don’t know how to order or how to get by when traveling to a Spanish-speaking country?

We have a whole playlist of videos for you with all the chunks you need to order in a restaurant, check into a hotel, take a taxi, and much more!

No digo que sea tu caso (I’m not saying it’s your case), but almost all foreigners I’ve ever met use them wrong at least once in a while… and if you’re not careful, you can end up saying some pretty embarrassing—or hilarious—things in Spanish!

So, if you want to avoid: 

• telling everyone they’re horny (and risk getting slapped in the face)
• mistaking your bowel issues for a runny nose
• calling someone naive when you actually think they’re a genius
• and 3 other tricky mistakes

…this is the article for you!

1. Excitado / Excited

Lo siento (I’m sorry), English speakers, but this is one of the most common, and funny, expressions people use to refer to being happy. 

Well, news flash! En español (In Spanish), it doesn’t mean that… it’s more a mature form of excitement si sabes a lo que me refiero (if you know what I mean). So, next time you are feeling extremely joyous, you are better off using emocionado o emocionada.

• Estoy muy emocionada de conocerte finalmente (I’m very excited to finally meet you)
• Él está tan emocionado que no puede dejar de hablar de ti (He’s so excited that he can’t stop talking about you)

2. Constipado / Constipated

Another confusing one! 

Constipado in Spanish has nothing to do with bowel issues (we’d call that estar estreñido); instead, it just means que tienes un ligero resfriado (that you have a mild cold). Literally, your nose is constipated. 

So, next time you are talking about being “constipado”, make sure you know what you are talking about or people would offer you una ciruela (a plum). 

• Me parece que por los nervios estoy estreñido (I’m afraid stress has caused me belly ache)
• Este ligero resfriado pasará pronto (This mild constipation will soon pass). 

3. Caliente / Hot

Okay, en honor a la verdad (to be fair), the word “caliente” might have a lot of meanings. So, I promise I won’t hold it against you! However, many English speakers use this word to say “You are hot”, meaning “You are attractive”, but we don’t really interpret it like that, and if you say “estás muy caliente” to a girl, well… you might get a slap or two. 

Let’s say it means pretty much the same as “excitado / excitada” in Spanish. Let’s learn the proper use of the word caliente: a beverage is caliente (hot), the weather might be “caliente” (hot) as well, but people are atractivo or atractiva or, even better, guapo or guapa. 

• La chica del bikini es muy guapa (The girl in the bikini is hot)
• Me parece que mi novio es muy atractivo (I think my boyfriend is very hot)

This one is so common that Paulisima made a whole article about caliente and the different ways of expressing hotness in Spanish.

4. Familiar / Familiar

Nope, I’m not talking about Salem, Sabrina’s familiar… I’m talking about English speakers confusing the term. 

Familiar is someone you are very well acquainted with, a family member, or at least, es lo que queremos decir en español (that’s what we mean in Spanish). The word and term exists, but it is not something that we use a lot. 

So, if you want to refer to something you are familiar with, the right word would be acostumbrado (used to): 

• Estoy muy acostumbrada a conducir de noche (I’m very familiar with driving at night)
• La reunión de anoche fue bastante familiar (Last night’s reunion was quite family-oriented)

Literal translations just don’t work when learning Spanish. So, if you want to sound like a Spanish native and have fluent Spanish sentences roll off your tongue, make sure to learn Spanish chunks like “de anoche”. 

Check out our free Spanish chunking training that shows you many more Spanish chunks and how chunking will ease your way into fluency.

Cheat Sheet with 54 essential Spanish Chunks you’ll hear and use yourself in ANY Spanish conversation (and example sentences). Taken from our YouTube Teacher’s most popular videos!

2 Bonus Cheat Sheets with Travel Chunks and Dating/Relationship Chunks

A Spanish Chunking Tutorial showing you the 1 technique that’ll help you make 100% of the Spanish from our videos roll off the tongue in just 5 minutes a day (you’re probably only using 50% of our lessons’ potential right now…)

Yes! Send me my FREE Spanish Chunking Kit

5. Ingenuidad / Ingenuity 

Would you consider yourself ingenious or naive? Pay attention to this word, since it is definitely not the same as it is in Spanish. 

Ingenuity in English means being listo, original e inventivo (clever, original, and inventive), but in Spanish, ingenuidad refers to being naive or simple. If you are looking to sell yourself, you should use the term “ingenioso”: 

• Cuando me lo propongo, puedo ser muy ingenioso (When I put my mind to it, I can be very resourceful)

Quien crea lo contrario es simple e ingenuo (Who believes otherwise is simple and naive)

6. Éxito / Exit

Many people confuse the English word “exit” with the Spanish word éxito, but let me tell you, they mean very different things. 

When Metallica sings about an exit life, they are pretty much talking about leaving this life, but if you talk about éxito in Spanish, it means to be successful. 

Como dato curioso (As a fun fact), the word exit, in Spanish and English, comes from the Latin word “exitus”. English speakers adopted this as “exit”, while Spanish adapted it as “success”, meaning, it has a great outcome: 

• El éxito de tu empresa me da inspiración (The success of your company gives me inspiration)
• La salida del club está por allá (The club’s exit is over there)

Tell me, have you used any of these literal translations wrong before? What happened? Any funny stories? Let me know in the comments!

There is one more literal translation that English speakers use all the time, and it’s particularly funny to hear that one: “no problemo”.

I actually made a whole lesson about it, where I tell you why you should never say “no problemo” and I also provide you with nine great alternatives to saying “no problem” in Spanish that will make you sound like a true native speaker!

In today’s article, we will go over 3 fictional Spanish superheroes and 3 Latin villains… and some chunks to talk about them in Spanish. Let’s see if they can conquer your heart as well…

Spanish Superheroes

1. El Zorro 

The film El Zorro, with Antonio Banderas, made the hero a little bit more mainstream, but El Zorro (The Fox) is considered a symbol throughout Latin America and is also regarded como uno de los primeros héroes de la cultura moderna (as one of the first modern culture heroes). 

El Zorro was created by American journalist and writer Johnston McCulley and los cómics de El Zorro eran tan populares (the comics about El Zorro were so popular) that it is said Batman was inspired by this popular Latin hero. 

El Zorro tells the story of Don Diego de la Vega, a Spanish landowner who lived in the town of Alta California during the Spanish rule. He fought against the injustices committed by the authorities and defended the oppressed.

El disfraz de El Zorro es un traje negro, lo mismo que su máscara, sombrero y capa. (El Zorro’s costume consists of a black suit, black mask, hat, and cape). 

El zorro monta su caballo Tornado, y carga una espada y un látigo como armas, aunque a veces usa una pistola. (He always rides his horse Tornado and carries a sword and a whip as weapons, although sometimes he uses a gun).

2. El Santo

Este es un caso curioso (this is a curious case): El Santo (The Saint) went from being a ring fighter to being a much loved and emblematic hero to finally become a Mexican national hero that is recognized worldwide. 

Here, in Mexico, we also have wrestling: Máscara contra cabellera, rudos contra tècnicos (mask against hair, rude against technicians), you name it! Since the 1950s, in Mexico, El Santo was a popular hero and a symbol of justice for people. 

El Santo faced all kinds of criaturas sobrenaturales, científicos locos, el crimen organizado, aliens, vampiros y momias (supernatural creatures, mad scientists, organized crime, aliens, vampires and mummies), to name a few.

El Santo es un superhéroe de pueblo, de la gente y para la gente  (El Santo is a village Superhero, a hero from and for the people). El Santo es un luchador mexicano (El Santo is a Mexican fighter)

3. El Chapulín Colorado 

Stay with me on this one! Chapulín is an edible bug, a cricket. Los comemos como botanas (we eat them as snacks) and they are very representative of Mexico, and Colorado means red. “The red cricket” would be the closest translation.

Muy popular en Latinoamérica (very popular in Latin America), El Chapulín Colorado has his own catchy phrase: ¡No contaban con mi astucia! (They didn’t didn’t know I’m so cunning!). 

El Chapulín Colorado was created by Roberto Gomez Bolaños, who also plays the character and who invented his origin as el producto de la bondad de un científico que estaba moribundo (the product of the kindness of a scientist who was dying) and before dying decided to pass on certain powers to someone with a noble heart. That is why the shield of this much-loved character is shaped like a heart. 

Este héroe tuvo cómics, películas y un show televisivo (this hero inspired comics, movies and TV shows). 

Una de sus armas era un martillo rojo y amarillo, similar al de Thor (One of his weapons, was a red and yellow hammer, similar to Thor’s). 

¡Muy bien! ¿Cuál fue tu Superhéroe favorito? (Which was your favorite superhero?) ¿Qué opinas de sus historias? (What do you think about their stories?) Let me know in the comments! 

Por cierto, by the way, have you noticed you’ve been learning Spanish with chunks? This is the method we use at Spring Spanish, that gives YOU superpowers to have fluent Spanish sentences roll off the tongue, without having to worry about grammar rules! 

So, sign up for our free Spanish training, where you will find out everything there is to know about this method that will help you to learn Spanish without vocabulary lists and grammar drills! 

Spanish Villains

1. El chupacabras

La leyenda de un misterioso monstruo (the legend of a mysterious monster) that sucks the blood of cattle spread in Mexico, the southwestern United States, and even China since the mid-1990s, when the existence of el chupacabras was first reported in Puerto Rico. 

The name comes from alleged blood-sucking habits of the creature, which is believed to attack animales domésticos, especialmente cabras (domestic animals, especially goats), sucking all the blood from their body. 

Physical descriptions of the creature vary, but it is commonly described as a heavy creature, the size of a small bear and with a row of spines running from the neck to the base of the tail. 

El chupacabras forma parte del folklore latino (The chupacabras is part of Latin folklore). Las representaciones del chupacabras dan miedo (Chupacabras depictions are scary).

2. La Gringa sin cabeza (The Headless Gringa), Ecuador

Durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial (during World War II), the US military had a base in Galápagos, Ecuador. During this time, many soldiers lived on the island with their families and one day, a soldier’s wife cheated on him with a local man. 

Cuando su esposo se enteró de lo que pasó (when her husband found out what happened), out of anger, he drove his wife to a cliff and threw her off it, but he lost his mind in the process. 

Años después (years later), when the US military returned home, it was reported that a local man was seduced by what appeared to be a beautiful “gringa“, who took him to the other end of the island, where he was tied up. Soldiers at the military base have reported hearing calls from the Gringa. 

Algunos soldados claman haber sentido la presencia de una sombra (Some soldiers claim to have felt the presence of a shadow).

La historia de la Gringa sin cabeza también es una historia triste (The Headless Gringa story is also a sad one)

3. Ucumar, Argentina

Ucumar o El hombre oso (the bearman) is represented in different degrees of hybridization: from a very hairy and terribly ugly bear, with slight humanoid features, to a beastly man, cubierto completamente de pelo (entirely covered with hair), a long beard and a narrow forehead. 

It lives in caves, at the bottom of narrow valleys, but it sneaks around rivers and slopes, and bathes in them. Therefore, it is easy to find its footprints there, similar to those of a bear. 

Además de ser fuerte, el Ucumar es ágil y puede trepar a los árboles más altos (In addition to being strong, the Ucumar is agile and can climb the tallest trees).

FREE SPANISH TRAINING 

Y bien, ¿cuál villano da más miedo? (And well, which villain is scarier?). Let me know in the comments! El mío siempre será el Chupacabras (Mine will always be El Chupacabras). 

If you liked this article, let me know in the comments… and don’t forget, if you want to discover the method we use at Spring Spanish to have you speaking Spanish like a superhero, sign up to our Free Spanish Chunking Training!

Cheat Sheet with 54 essential Spanish Chunks you’ll hear and use yourself in ANY Spanish conversation (and example sentences). Taken from our YouTube Teacher’s most popular videos!

2 Bonus Cheat Sheets with Travel Chunks and Dating/Relationship Chunks

A Spanish Chunking Tutorial showing you the 1 technique that’ll help you make 100% of the Spanish from our videos roll off the tongue in just 5 minutes a day (you’re probably only using 50% of our lessons’ potential right now…)

Yes! Send me my FREE Spanish Chunking Kit