Introduction.
Who Should Read This Book.
How to Use This Book.
What's in the Book?
Special Elements.
Useful Lists.
Other Special Information.
Using the Audio Files.
What This Book Will Do for You.
I. QUICK GUIDE TO THE BASICS.
1. The Rules-Short and Sweet.
Pronouncing Vowels and Using Special Characters.
Pronouncing Vowels.
Using Special Characters and Accent Symbols.
Letters and Letter Combinations that Create Unique Spanish Sounds.
Using Masculine and Feminine Nouns.
Using Masculine and Feminine Adjectives.
Tackling Two Spanish Grammar Complexities.
Using the Prepositions para and por.
Matching Verbs to their Subject and Tense: Infinitives and Conjugation.
Summary.
2. Letters, Numbers, Dates, and Dollars.
The Alphabet.
Numbers.
Ordinal Numbers.
Fractions.
Whole Numbers.
Dollar Amounts.
Dates.
Time.
Units of Measure.
Weight.
Dimensions.
Measurements in Recipes.
Summary.
II. TALKING ABOUT YOUR DAILY LIFE.
3. Getting to Know One Another.
Breaking the Ice.
Basic Greetings and Their Follow-up.
Informal Greetings.
Formal Greetings.
Responses to Your Greeting.
Talking About Who You Are.
Exchanging Names.
Describing Where You Are From.
Summary.
4. Discussing Your Family and Friends.
Discussing Marital Status.
Other Long-term or Significant Relationships.
Talking About Your Spouse and Children.
Talking about Your Family Members' Occupations.
Describing School Grade Levels.
Discussing University Majors.
Describing Other Relationships.
Extended Family Relationships.
Other Family Relationships.
Friends and Acquaintances.
Terms of Endearment.
Summary.
5. Talking About Your Town, Home, and Personal Belongings.
Talking about Your Town, City, or Neighborhood.
Describing Where You Live.
Talking about the Neighborhood.
Describing Your Home.
Talking About the House.
Describing the Details of Your Home.
The Yard.
The Garage.
Talking about Personal Possessions.
Describing Clothes.
Talking About Television.
Discussing Pets.
Hiring Maintenance and Repair Workers.
Describing Maintenance Problems and Necessary Repairs.
Asking about Specific Skills.
Renting Out an Apartment/House.
Summary.
6. Discussing Work and Other Activities of Daily Life.
Talking About Work.
Describing Where You Work.
Describing Job Satisfaction.
Describing Workplace Conditions.
Greeting a New Employee.
Requesting Office Supplies.
Discussing Previous Work Experiences.
Conversations About Sports.
Participating in Sports.
Discussing Spectator Sports.
Other Activities of Daily Life.
Summary.
7. Shopping.
The Parking Lot.
General Shopping.
Store Signs.
Interaction with a Sales Clerk.
Shopping for Groceries.
Domestic Help and Grocery Shopping.
Casual Conversation About Grocery Shopping.
Food Item Names.
Following Recipes.
Shopping at a Mercado.
Bargaining for the Best Price.
Finalizing Your Purchase and Making Returns.
Summary.
8. Eating Out.
Finding a Restaurant.
Making Reservations.
Conducting the Business of Dining.
Placing an Order.
Ordering Breakfast Items.
Ordering Lunch and Dinner Items.
Ordering Side Dishes.
Ordering Beverages.
Ordering Desserts.
Learning to Pronounce the Names of Popular Dishes.
Understanding the Ingredients in Hispanic Dishes.
Paying for Your Meal.
Registering Complaints.
Asking for Assistance.
Finding the Powder Room.
Asking for Medical Assistance.
Summary.
9. Managing Your Health.
Social Conversation About Health.
Talking About Physical Exams and Medical Test Results.
Discussing Healthy Practices and Remedies.
Going to the Doctor or Hospital.
Explaining That You Need to See a Doctor.
Scheduling an Appointment.
Talking with Your Doctor.
Providing Insurance Information.
Being Admitted to the Hospital.
Using the Pharmacy.
Discussions About Diet and Exercise.
Talking About Diet and Weight Loss.
Describing Exercises and Exercise Equipment.
Summary.
III. SPECIAL SITUATIONS.
10. Staying at a Hotel.
Making Reservations.
Discussing the Hotel's Amenities.
Inquiring About Rates.
Checking In.
Asking for Bell Captain/Hop Assistance.
Asking About Hotel Services.
Asking About Transportation and Auto Services Near the Hotel.
Getting to the Airport from the Hotel.
Reporting Problems with the Room.
Using the Telephone.
Summary.
11. Discussing Science and Computers.
Simple Conversations About Nature and Natural Sciences.
Discussing Our Natural Environment.
Talking About the Seasons.
Casual Conversations About Weather.
Describing Colors and the Color Spectrum.
Discussing Wildlife.
Talking About Animals.
Discussing Birds.
Talking About Computers.
Common Computer Tasks and Features.
Conversations About the Use of Software.
Talking About the Internet.
Exchanging Information About Email.
Summary.
12. The Professional World.
Discussing Auto Sales, Real Estate, and Investments.
Discussing an Automobile Purchase.
Discussing Real Estate Sales.
Making Investments.
Talking About Legal Matters.
Discussing Legal Services.
Advertising Legal Services.
Advertising in the Media.
Creating Newspaper Ads.
Advertising on the Radio.
Television Advertising.
Creating an Internet "Presence".
Summary.
13. The Political World.
United States Constitution.
Branches of Government.
Federal Government.
State Government.
Local Government.
The Government and its Citizens.
Speaking About Your Rights as a U.S. Citizen.
Discussing Your Responsibilities as a Citizen.
Summary.
14. Must-Know Words, Phrases, and Sentences.
Words and Phrases for Emergencies.
Using Spanish Terms for Where, When, Who and Other Interrogatives.
Using "What".
Using "Who" and "Whom".
Using "Which".
Using "When".
Using "Where".
Using "Why".
Using "How".
Using Frequency Adverbs (You'll Always Be Glad You Know These Terms).
Words That Link Phrases.
Using Common Rejoinders.
Practicing Conversational Spanish.
Summary and Conclusion.
IV. APPENDICESS.
A. References and Resources.
Books on Learning Spanish.
Learn Spanish Using Audio Systems.
Websites That Help You Learn Spanish.
Spanish Language Newspapers Online.
Spanish Language Television Programming.
Magazines en Español.
Index.
Index of Spanish Terms.
Once upon a time, the only customers for Spanish books were students studying the language in school and people planning vacations to Mexico. The demand for a new kind of Spanish book has increased as the makeup of the U.S. population has shifted to include more Spanish-speaking people. Many people now want to learn basic Spanish for everyday interaction with non-English speaking Hispanics at work, the store, school, the bank and more. This book accomplishes just that, offering readers an easy and convenient way to learn conversational Spanish for use in everyday situations. Larry Rios from SayItInSpanish.com teaches readers thousands of basic conversational Spanish phrases quickly and easily, organizing the book by situations, and offering downloadable audio files that allow for pronunciation practice. This book does not require extensive reading or the repetition of the impractical language examples found in competing titles, tasks that waste the time of busy readers.
Larry C. Rios has always had a passion for writing, but his greater passion has always been to share his knowledge of the Spanish language. After receiving a degree in accounting from New Mexico State University, he spent the first half of his career writing. He wrote functional specifications that were coded by programmers and the operating manuals for accounting systems he designed. Upon retirement from federal service, as a budget officer, he pursued his passion by starting an English-to-Spanish translation service on the Internet in 1999. He provides English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English translation with audio at www.sayitinspanish.com.
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