One of the main reasons people learn a new language is sex (let’s not lie, it’s true), and fortunately Spanish speakers are renowned around the world for being gorgeous (and that applies to both the men and women). So before you start conquering hearts, conquer some of the essential phrases used on a first date.

Step 1: The Invite. Here are the handy ways to politely ask a lad or lady out. Note the conditional tense for added civility.

¿Te gustaría ir a cenar conmigo esta noche? Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight? 
¿Te gustaría tomar algo? Would you like to get a drink?

Step 2: The initial Questions. Start the night right with appropriate conversation starters.

¿Qué quieres comer? Este lugar tiene buen sushi. *** What do you want to eat? This place has good sushi

*** Our resident hot Latin lady adds this important cultural note for the men out there: “Porque no esta bien si un hombre no puede tomar una decisión” (because it’s not good if the man can not make a decision – so come with a suggestion prepared!)

¿Qué haces? What do you do? 
¿Qué tipo de música escuchas? What type of music do you listen to? 
¿Qué te gusta hacer los fines de semana? What do you like to do on the weekends?
¿Cuando salis, con tus amigos, a dónde vas? When you go out with your friends, where do you go?

Step 3: Closing the deal.One way or another, be prepared to end the night.

Yo pago.*** I pay

*** Cultural note two from said Latina. Men are usually expected to pay for a date. In her words “No es una pregunta” (It’s not a question).

If you want to see them again:
¿Quieres ir a tomar algo a un lugar más tranquilo? Do you want to get a drink in a more relaxed place?
-¿Vivo solo, quieres venir a ver una película a casa uno de estos días? I live alone, do you want to watch a movie at my house one of these days?
Me gustaría volver a verte. I would like to see you again
La pasé muy bien. That went well

If you don’t want to see them again:
Te llamo. I’ll call you.

Step 4: The Rest. In the end of the day, this go-to-guide will only get your foot in the dating scene door. But really, if you are after the gorgeous Spanish speakers out there, you better learn Spanish. (At least a little more than a few sentences!)

The only problem is, you can spend years in schools or with programs learning the language and still not be able to speak to people. That’s because the normal folks out there don’t slow their speech to teacher speed, nor do they use textbook language. (Just think how you speak with your friends, and all the slang and idioms that you use.)

That’s where Bueno, entonces… is sooo much more rad. Because it’ll teach the normal ‘everyday’ language, as well as covering the essentials in Spanish Level I & II, all at the normal spoken speed. That way you’ll train your ears before it really counts.

PLUS: it’s actually entertaining, so you keep watching and at a 1/3 of the price of the competition, so you can save money for your dates.

Check out the first class for free here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

We are in a free world even thought we have laws like SOPA or PIPA that are trying to stop us! It is always important to express our won opinion. This is how to do it in Spanish!

Expressing Opinions:
In Spanish there are a few different ways to express your opinions, both postive and negative. So before you start a debate, check out some of the most common phrases for voicing yourself below:

Positive:
Para mí, … (to me,) 
En mi opinión, … (In my opinion,)
Creo que … (I believe) 
Pienso que …(I think)
Estoy de acuerdo con … (I am in agreement with)
Me parece …(It seems to me)

Negative:
No estoy de acuerdo …(I am not in agreement)
Estoy en desacuerdo …(I am in disagreement)
No creo que …(I don’t believe) 
No pienso que …(I don’t think)
No me parece …(It doesn’t seem to me)

ee? It’s not that hard.  But like everything else in Spanish, there are always exceptions to the rules, and you will just learn them with time.  As long as you keep somewhat of a sense of humor, believe us, it will be infinitely less painful!

Want to learn more? Then buy whole Bueno, entonces…learn Spanish program! We also have clips of our Spanish classes on Youtube – go check ‘em out and get a taste of our style.

Best part? Head here right now and you’ll get the first 40 min class for absolutely nada (nothing), so you got nothing to lose: http://www.generallinguistics.com

Today’s mini lesson is all about grammar tips! We are going to explain the difference between Saber and Conocer that is a common mistake when learning the Spanish Language. This lesson is taught in class 7 of the Bueno, entonces…

Saber vs. Conocer – ROUND 1

“Saber” means to know as in to know a fact, to know something thoroughly or to know how to do something. It can be followed by a noun, such as a name or answer.

You will also see SABER with the words “que…” (that…), “donde…” (where…), and “cuando….” (when) to introduce facts, or with an infinitive verb, in which case it’s translated as “To know how to…”

For example: “Ella sabe bailar” (She knows how to dance).

Present Tense – Saber

Saber vs. Conocer – ROUND 2 

“Conocer” means to know as in to know a person or to be familiar with something- a city, a book, a film, a restaurant, and so on.

For example: “Conocemos Londres” (We know London).

Present Tense: conocer

Have any other Spanish phrases or questions about saber vs conocer you can see it on Class 7 in Bueno, entonces…  or leave you questions or comment on our Facebook page!

If you want to learn to speak Spanish in a fun and entertaining way, check out Bueno, entonces…and learn conversational Spanish in five weeks! (Trust us, a Spanish dictionary will only get you so far).

Head here today and get the first 40 minute Spanish class completely free! http://www.generallinguistics.com

…Muero de indigestión.

To begin with the Blog you first need to wach this video to introduce you to todays topic! I am dropping the lyrics bellow.

Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas - A Mover el Coolo…

Mira como floweo, yo simplemente le brindo ritmo al mundo perro.
Tengo el infierno genital, y su cuerpo suda,
su transpiracion es digital, es como una pluma,
su culo brilla mas y mas me atrae con su dulzura.
Hoy en mi cuna dormida, quiero su uva.
Imagino su sabor es chocolate,
y que le gustaria que descubra la espuma de su valle.
Nos iremos lejos donde nadie vea el movimiento,
que el cielo sea el unioco testigo de este encuentro.
Hay que empezar a mover, se nos acaba la era,
la luna pronto se ira, el sol vendra con sus velas.
Terremoto que en sus ojos siento,
se traslada a su cuerpo cuando está en movimiento,
estoy volando por su jungla dorada. Grita mi alma!…
Es hora de empezar a mover.
A mover el Coolo…

Destinado a bailar ante Dios, como un rio que fluye en celo hacia vos,
nuestra vida esta unida por un cordon umbilical de ritmo,
alterando el sentido de solo estar vivo.
El hechizo corriendo por tus venas, sientes la esencia la ciencia de tus piernas,
lamela hasta que grite damela, y empieza a entender de que se trata la vida.
Su pollera explota en busca de mi sexo,
yo flotando en ella en mi mejor momento.
Me muestra su volcan, su lava, su saliva.
Me abre su puerta de entrada, no de salida.
El mundo lo empieza a mover, el cielo se empieza a caer a tus pies,
nuevamente es tiempò de empezar a brillar, otra vez grita mi alma!…
Es hora de empezar a mover
A mover el Coolo…

Girl you´re my love bouncing queen,
fuck the world, i can dream your eyes, all the way to coolo in paradise.
A mover el Coolo.

Spanish is a very diverse language and they usually have multiple words for the same thing.  The same thing happens in English, and as you may know it’s important to know all of them! As well as know in what context it’s best to use each of them!

Today we are going to go with a word that, depending on the region,  may be offensive or not.

Culo, is a word that in English means arse, ass, backside, behind, booty, bottom, bum and the list can go on. Well, in Spanish there are also different ways to call it and Culo is the most offensive one in South America, but in Spain is a proper word to use! So here is the list of the most common ways to say  Culo and how to use it.

Gluteos: It’s very formal since its refering to the actual muscle in that part of the body.

Pompis or las Pompas: It’s very common in Mexico

Japanese Macaques

Trasero: It’s very general and used in every spanish speaking country.

Nalgas:  Butt cheeks but it’s still descent to use it.

Poto: Peru & Chile ( Thanks Rene Eduardo Moncayo)

Derriere: Very formal too, it’s very common on the fashion industry.

Culo: Only formal in Spain, in other parts of the world it may be consider offensive unless you speak with an spanish accent.

Phrases to use it (offensive):

Me puedes besar el culo – You can kiss my ass

Te voy a patear el culo – I am going to kick you ass

Moliendo vidrio con el culo – Smashing glass with my ass meaning; Working very hard

There you have it– all the necessary vocabulary to get by in the day-to-day conversations using the word culo in  South America and Spain!

Can you think of any other words or Spanish phrases that might be useful?  Add them in the comments section here or on our Facebook page – and check our more clips of our Spanish lessons on our Youtube Page. If you want to really learn Spanish, then head on over to our language learning software page get your hands on Bueno, entonces…- you’ll be speaking conversational Spanish in just five weeks!

Rejection.  It’s just a fact of life.  For some, it is more common than others, but at one point or another, everyone gets rejected.  That is why we have dedicated a clip of Bueno, entonces… to the art of Spanish rejection.

And, aside from David being all-too-familiar with rejections from Jimena, we brought in another pair of experts to help you out– Wayne and Garth from Wayne’s World!

No Way!

Way!

You’ll laugh.  You’ll cry.  You’ll hurl.  Check it out!

Man, you gotta love them.  The colors and symbols used on the Pizarra Magica (Magic Whiteboard) are the key to our subliminal teaching method– your brain picks up on what these colors and symbols represent, and CHAN!  You’re learning without even knowing it!  However, to speed up that process a bit, go ahead and take a look at the Color & Symbol Key.

Take a look at a review of this class as well as the rest of the posts in the series by going to http://juniperenbsas.blogspot.com

If you like this way of learning and want to look at a few more demos, visit the Bueno, entonces… website http://www.generallinguistics.com– and watch the first class for absolutely nada. Now how convenient is that?

Shopping in Spanish? This is what you need!

Plaza Serrano - Buenos Aires

Most of us like going shopping, or just buying little souvenirs to reminds us of our travels. But most of the time in South America you’ll get the Gringo price, it even happens to us in Bueno, Entonces… when we are trying to get projects done.

We can’t teach you directly how to know if you are getting a gringo price or the real price … that involves common sense and intuition. Most of the street stores/ people are willing to negotiate the price, and sometimes offering cash (efectivo) in stores may get you a discount.

(Note: When trying to buy things on the street from artisans or people that do their own crafts, don’t negotiate with them! Pay them what they ask for, because for most of them it’s their only income.)

So here in Bueno, entonces… we found a list of words that you should know while you go shopping!  We hope its useful for your travelling!

Want to know more Spanish vocabulary? Start your Bueno, entonces.. Spanish classes! You can get the first 40 minute class for free and see what you think.

Grab it here: http://www.generallinguistics.com

It’s that time of year again. Christmas is over but we still have New Years eve coming and The post Christmas SALES!

Oh, you know you love it. Being stuck in traffic for hours? Waiting in line for ages at the airport? Nothing says happy holidays like a delayed flight, we all have a Grinch face when it comes to this situations.

We thought we”d take this opportunity to help you brush up on your transportation vocab—we know you”ll need it! While the post is a vintage one and is a bit focused on Buenos Aires transportation in particular, the vocab can be used anywhere you go. We know that an insultos post would also be appropriate at this time, but you”ll have to wait for that:

Driving in Buenos Aires is a total and complete nightmare.  It’s as if lanes don’t exist, and there is no right-of-way for anyone– it’s all fair game.  Heck, crossing streets as a pedestrian feels like you’re putting your life at risk.  But that’s besides the point, the point being that public transportation is very, very important here.

However, Buenos Aires residents are all-too-familiar with having to find alternative transportation on a regular basis.  Why is that?  Because public transportation workers have a tendency to strike.  A lot.  If it’s not the trains, it’s the buses, if it’s not the buses, it’s the subway… In fact, these past few weeks the subways have been shut down on random days due to huelgas (strikes), because they are fighting for a raise on their salaries. Which leads us to our next item of business: transportation vocabulary!

So, like we mentioned, there are various ways to get around in the city.  First, there are coches (cars–can also be called carros or autos), which can come in the form of personal coches, taxis (same in English), and remises (private cars for hire).  Next, you have the colectivos (buses).  A slang term for buses in Argentina is bondi, but you might hear someone refer to a bus as a micro, too.  A bondi and colectivo are for short-distance buses (inner-city) and micro is for long-distance buses (between cities).

Next up, we have the trenes (trains).  First, there is the actual tren, which can also be referred to as the ferrocarril (but this is an old-fashion term– you will see it written, but not often spoken, like railway).  Then, there is the underground train, better knows as the subte (subway).  Subte is short for subterráneo (underground).

To buy boletos (tickets) on the colectivo or bondi, you need monedas (coins) or a Sube Card wich you can add credit on the subte stations or in kiosocos (Stores),  but on the other modes of transportation, you can use billetes (bills).  On the subte or the tren, you wait in an estación (station), but on a bondi or colectivo, you wait at a parada (stop).

The vocabulary regarding transportation varies from country to country, but for the most part, auto, taxi, colectivo, tren, and subte will be understood everywhere in the Spanish-speaking world.  Lastly, if you are trying to find your way around in Buenos Aires, treat yourself to a five-peso Guí­a-T– this is the public transportation Bible.  Every zona (zone), every bondi, everything you need to know to get around the city.

Want to improve your Spanish even more?  Visit the Bueno, entonces… Learn Spanish website, where you can find over 18 hours of fun, interesting Spanish classes on DVD or as downloads for your computer, ipod, or iphone.

Other vocab not mentioned in the post include: el avión (the airplane), el vuelo (the flight), and el barco (the boat, ship).

Suerte y felices fiestas!

While many of you in the Northern Hemisphere may be complaining about snow and freezing temperatures, us Gringos in South America are burning our pasty Gringo skin and being eaten alive by bichos (bugs/little critters). It’s the holiday season, after all!

We all know that whenever one leaves their country (or region) they encounter all sorts of new bichos. They may be different. They may be larger. And if you’re in a tropical location, they are most likely much more aggressive.They bite, suck your blood, or burrow themselves beneath your skin.

It’s disgusting, we know. But these situations do happen, and we at Bueno, entonces…feel that it is imperative that you, Gringo, learn Spanish and know how to explain a) what has bitten you, b) what has burrowed itself in your skin, or c) what has infested your house.

Plaga=Infestation

Repelente de Insectos=Insect repellent

Picadura=Bite

Tengo alergia a las picaduras de…/I am allergic to (type of bug) bites.

Tengo una garrapata.=I have a tick.

Araña=Spider

Mosquito=Mosquito

Hormiga = Ant

Escarabajo=Beetle

Pulga=Flea

Chinche=Bedbug

Mariquita/Vaquita de San Antonio=Ladybug

Mantis Religiousa=Praying Mantis

Abeja=Bee

Garrapata=Tick

¡OJO!Each bug name (and whether to refer to a bug as an insecto or bicho) varies from country to country, so make sure to double check with a local or Googlearlo antes de irte (Google it before you go). Yes, Googlear is a verb in Spanish, too.

So there you have it’s mosquito bites? No problem. Bedbug infestation? Piece o’ cake. Tick burrowed beneath your skin? Well, not great, but at least you know how to explain yourself!

If you want to further explain what the hell is going on with your skin, we recommend you buy whole Bueno, entonces… program. We also have clips of our Spanish classes on Youtube – go check them out and get a taste of our style. Become a fan of Bueno, entonces… on Facebook to interact with other users in our Spanish-learning community and learn useful (and hilarious) Spanish phrases!

Interesting Fact: Not all authorities agree on which letters make up the Spanish alphabet. Crazy, right? This here is the closest thing to an official Spanish alphabet (from the Real Academia Español. )

A: a
B: be
C: ce
CH: che
D: de
E: e
F: efe
G: ge
H: hache
I: i
J: jota
K: ka
L: ele
LL: elle
M: eme
N: ene
í‘: eñe
O: o
P: pe
Q: cu
R: ere
S: ese
T: te
U: u
V: ve
W: uve doble
X: equis
Y: i griega (E griega)
Z: zeta

Want to hear the words? Check out this great site that has the Spanish alphabet audio clips. Yup, they don’t include the ‘ch’ or ‘ll’ on that site. Because sometimes they take those ones out. Or they add ‘rr’. And sometimes the ‘w’ is called ‘doble v’ or ‘doble u’ or ‘w’ is not included at all. Oh yeah, and the ‘v’ (as in Victor) is sometimes ‘uve’.

Come on Spanish, get your act together.

To find out more about Spanish grammar, check out Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish and speak and understand native Spanish in five weeks! (You can also check out clips from our Spanish classes on Youtube!)