Usted or how to be formal in Spanish (Beginners)

In Spanish, when we want to be formal or polite, there are several boxes we need to tick. But before we start with them, it's important to mention that this courteous way of approaching is gradually fading away (especially among the newer generations). Ot at least, it's not so widespread as it used to be.

Now we'll go through the key aspects (for beginners) of THE FORMAL TREATMENT in Spanish. Note as well that the following changes occur in the variety from Spain (I'll write another post about what changes in other varieties).

1. USTED (or USTEDES)

The pronoun USTED replaces TÚ and USTED replaces VOSOTROS.

Here, the singer addresses his lover in a polite way: USTED

2. VERBS

In English, when we say that a different person/subject does something, the verb doesn't normally change. It's the subject pronoun what changes (YOU buy; THEY buy). However, every time we conjugate* a verb in Spanish, this verb will adopt a different "shape" or "form" for each person (a feature that allow us to drop the pronoun if we want). For instance, we say compras (you buy) but compra (he buys), and we don't need the pronouns TÚ (you) and ÉL (he)

Therefore, in a normal context, when we address our listener, we use the form of the verb for the second person (either singular or plural, depending on how many people we are addressing): TÚ ERES ALTO (you are tall).

So what does it change when we want to be formal? Easy-peasy: we use the verb form for the third person (either singular or plural, depending on how many people we are addresing). Have a look at the pictures:

Pay attention to the form of the verb TRABAJAR

And here some more examples. The first phrase is informal and the second changes to formal.

¿Cuántos años tienes (tú)?       >>>>>     ¿Cuántos años tiene (usted)?

¿De dónde sois (vosotros)?      >>>>>     ¿De dónde son (ustedes)? 

It's as though in English, when you wanted to be polite you'd say "How old is you?".

3. OTHER CHANGES

This "polite movement" from the second person towards the third person also affects other pronouns  and determiners. For this level, I just want you to focus on the possesives**. 

The same shift we saw for verbs happens here. In Spanish, in an informal context, if I want to address my listener about "his house", I say "tu casa". However, if a want to be polite I'd say "su casa". 

Other examples:

Tu perro es muy bonito >>>>  Su perro es muy bonito

Tu casa es muy grande  >>>> Su casa es muy grande

Recap for beginners

4. WHEN DO WE USE IT?

Some protocol guides say that you need to use these forms when you talk to someone you don't know very well (it doesn't matter their age or social status). As I said before, younger people tend not to use them anymore, since we live in a world that values equality and some speakers think that these are means to separete people into hierarchies.

However, although nowadays you'd hardly ever hear someone using USTED when talking to a doctor or teacher, I think it's still a common use when you talk to the elderly.

It might all seem a little strange at first, addressing the person (or people) who is listening to you with the elements we normally use when we're talking ABOUT someonelse. Nevertheless, when you give it a second thought, everything makes sense. Let's see.

Any form of courtesy was probably originated when a poor John Doe had to address public figures or dignataries who were in a higher rung in social status than him, because in formal exchanges there is supposed to be a gap or distance between speakers. And these linguistic features try to dig into this social ditch. When we want to be polite or formal, we're just distancing ourselves from our listener, we're taking a detour to reach them. 

And that's what we do when we use third-person verbs and determiners, we're taking the long route. Avoiding second-person elements, we're avoiding direct contact, thus keeping that "polite distance".

Remember this is only an introduction to the topic. 

If you have any questions, please leave them below and I'll answer them ASAP.

*Conjugate: listing the forms of a verb. For instance, conjugate the present tense of the verbsHABLAR: yo hablo, tu hablas, él/ella/usted habla, nosotros hablamos, vosotros habláis, ellos hablan.

**Possesive: these are the words that go along with things in order to make sure everyone knows to whom they belong to. In English, "my, your, his, her, etc". For this post, it's important to remember MY in Spanish is MI; YOUR is TU; and HIS and HER turn into just one word SU.

Vocabulary: Colours

Para gustos, colores.

This Spanish idiom could literally be translated as "For tastes, colours". However, idioms or sayings can hardly ever be converted word by word into another language. 

So what would it be the English equivalent, the phrase we can use in similar contexts?

Correct! To each his own. Or there is no accounting for taste. Have a look at this dialogue:

-Me encanta el cine israelí. (I love Israeli cinema)

-A mí no, yo lo odio. A mí me gusta el cine japonés, en cambio (I don't. I love Japanese movies, instead)

-Como dice el dicho: para gustos, colores (As the saying goes: there is no accounting for taste)

As you can see, the Spanish version (para gustos, colores) is based on the fact that there are hundreds of colours to choose from, in the same way that every person chooses their own personal taste or view about something. (Or like our friend Clint Eastwood once said: "Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one").

Azul-Verde-Ciruela-Amarillo-Violeta-Rojo-Naranja-Verde

After this introduction, let's first see (or in this case, read) the main colours in Spanish, and then some expressions. 

BLANCO (white)

What's white? Una nube (a cloud), la leche (milk), la nieve (snow), etc.

Some expressions:

• Quedarse en blanco: when your mind goes blank. En los exámenes me quedo en blanco (during the exams my mind goes blank)
• Ser el blanco [de algo]: when you're the target [of a joke, an attack]. Siempre soy el blanco de tus críticas (your critics are always aimed at me)

NEGRO (black)

What's black? El carbón (coal), el petróleo (oil), etc.

Some expressions:

• Dinero negro: dirty money, money that is not taxed. Los narcotraficantes invertían dinero negro (the narcos were investing dirty money)
• Pagar en negro: when you pay under the counter (or cash in hand). Los empresarios pagan en negro a sus trabajadores (The employers pay cash in hand to their employees)

ROJO (red)

What's red? La sangre (blood), un tomate (a tomato), una fresa (a strawberry)

Some expressions:

• Los rojos: communists. ¡Qué vienen los rojos! (Communists are coming: a phare used in political and economic contexts to warn -in a humorous manner- about what conservatives may consider too left-winged).  
• Números rojos: in red, when your are in debt. No tengo dinero. Estoy en números rojos (I have no money. I'm broke) With this very same meaning, we can use "white" in its femine gender: Estoy sin blancA (To be broke).

VERDE (green)

What's green? La hierba (grass), una lima (a lime)

Some expressions:

• Viejo verde (chiste verde). In Spanish, the colour green is associated with dirty and sexual jokes and we use it as well to refer to an old dirty man. Es un viejo verde. Siempre está contándome bromas guarras (He's a dirty old man. He's always telling me dirty jokes)
• Los verdes: the green party. ¡Los verdes se han aliado con esos rojos comunistas! (The green have joined the communist party!
• Estar verde: when a fruit is unripe or a project is not ready. Esas manzanas están verdes. (Those apples are unripe) or El nuevo libro de Mendoza todavía está verde (Mendoza's new book is not finished yet)

AZUL (blue)

What's blue? El cielo (the sky)

• Príncipe azul: Prince Charming.
• Sangre azul: we say that someone has "blue blood" when they belong to the aristrocracy. 

MARRÓN (brown)

What's brown: la tierra (soil)

Some expressions:

• Ser un marrón (¡Qué marrón!): when something is a bummer (coloquial expressions). Cuidar a todos tus perros es un marrón. Son muy pesados (Taking care of all your dogs is a bummer. They're a pay in the neck)

AMARILLO (yellow)

What's yellow? Un limón (a lemon), un plátano (a banana), el solo (the sun)

NARANJA (orange)

What's orange? La naranja (the orange)


We must bear in mind that the following colours (blanco, negro, rojo, amarillo) have grammatical gender* and therefore they need to agree with the noun they go with. Have a look at the examples:

Nube is a feminine word. In this case, we say nube blanca. On the other hand, coche (car) is a masculine noun, so we say coche blanco.
More examples: perro negro / noche negra; sangre roja / zapato rojo.

YOUR TURN TO PRACTICE

This video will help you to memorise the main colours through a fun exercise. Give a go!

Leave some comments or doubt below.

Thanks.

*If you wanna know a bit more about grammatical gender you can check this post: https://spanisheasypeasy.blogspot.com/2018/10/batman-and-grammatical-gender_22.html

Listening and comprehension (Introducing yourself)

A good student of a second language is always a bit nosy. Carefully but shamelessly, one must overhear other people's conversations whenever the opportunity arises, with the excuse of language learning. You have to tune into the everyday language of the people.

When I was living in Italy, I learned the most of my Italian on the bus. I'd eavesdrop any dialogue between two natives in order to catch new expressions to say something or slang vocabulary. Or even better, making the most of crammed Roman buses, I'd read someone else's whatsapps (just remember to use the out-of-jail-card of language learning in front of the judge).

But, what can you do to improve your listening and comprehension in Spanish when you're not living in a Spanish speaking country? Easy-peasy: listening to a lot of natural, fresh and local Spanish on the Internet.

With these series of videos I expect to offer a wide variety of material to listen to natural Spanish. It'll be some of the same sources a Spanish native speaker watches for fun at home (series, news, etc.). All of it edited to the appropiate level. 

Plus, I'll add a PDF with a transcription of the dialogue and I'll comment the most important vocabulary and expressions.

There we go with the first video about how to introduce yourself. We'll listen to some expressions, vocabulary and verbs from real people:

And here you can download the transcription and the explanation:

DOWNLOAD

Just leave your comments below if you have any questions.