Language Learners

Spanish word of the week: despertar

despertar VERB to wake up Despertar means to wake … up, that is when you wake someone else up. In other words it’s transitive. Despiértame a las ocho, mamá. Wake me up at eight, mom. If you want to describe waking up of your own accord — in other… Read More

Spanish word of the week: pan

el pan NOUN bread; loaf pan integral wholeweat bread Compré dos panes. I bought two loaves. What do you think of when you think of bread? To many Spanish speakers, regular pan is a crusty loaf of what English speakers would call French bread. A chunk… Read More

Spanish word of the week: cien

cien ADJECTIVE, PRONOUN a hundred Cien is the shortened version of ciento and both mean a hundred. Which one you need to use depends on the words that come before or after. You use cien in front of a noun, as in the title of the famous… Read More

Asking about places to stay in English

Our last article showed you how you could tell people your name and how to say what you do. Moving the conversation further along, a simple way to ask for information about places to stay or live is to start your sentence with Is … ? Is it expensive?… Read More

Telling people your name and what you do in English

Our last article helped you to talk about places to live or to stay when you are away from home. When you are looking for somewhere to live or stay, you may have to talk about yourself. To say what your name is, use I’m … or My name’s …… Read More

Learning German: Making sure you’ve understood

When learning a language, our understanding of what’s being said normally comes before our ability to be able to speak the language and become confident enough to contribute to the conversation. The use of gestures and visual clues often allow us to get the gist of a sentence. That said,… Read More

Learning Italian: Making sure you’ve understood!

When learning a language, our understanding of what’s being said normally comes before our ability to be able to speak the language and become confident enough to contribute to the conversation. That said, there will be times when you might have a problem understanding what’s been said or may not… Read More

Asking for somewhere to stay or live in English

Our last article was the final article in the series giving useful phrases you can use when travelling. But what if you are staying away from home? These next articles will help you to talk about places to live or to stay when you are away from home. You can… Read More

Saying what you like, dislike or prefer in English

Our last article looked at how you can ask for things. You may then want to talk about what you like and do not like about travelling. To say what you like, use I like … . To say what you do not like, use I don’t like …… Read More