If you've learned Spanish for more than a few weeks, you probably know that él typically means "he" (or sometimes "him") and ella means "she." But did you also know that both of these words are sometimes used to say "it"? Other words such as lo, la and ello are also used at times to mean "it." But more often than not, as explained in our lesson about "it," no word is used at all.

Beginning Spanish students are often told that the L of Spanish is pronounced pretty much like it is in English. But that isn't necessarily true. While the English word "low" and the Spanish lo are pronounced very much alike, "tall" and tal are not. Although you may not have noticed, English has two "L" sounds that are quite different — and, as explained in our lesson on pronouncing the L, only one of them is used in Spanish.

What do you do for a living? Or what do you want to be when you're through with school? At least in the culture where most of us live, those questions are among the first you may ask or be asked upon getting to know someone. If you're asked the same question in Spanish, our lesson on Spanish words for occupations may help you come up with the answer.

Also, keep in mind that, as explained in our lesson on omitting the indefinite article, when you're saying something like "I am a student" in Spanish, you don't need to translate the "a": Soy estudiante.

Chico y Rita, the only Spanish-language film to receive an Oscar nomination this year, will have its U.S. opening weekend starting Feb. 10, according to the website Box Office Mojo. The film was nominated for best animated feature.

Chico y Rita, directed by Spaniards Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal, is aimed at adults and tells the story of a singer and songwriter who meet in Havana in the late 1940s and follow each other and their dreams to Europe and the United States. It has been praised for its retro-style animation as well as its music. Much of the animation was based on live filming done in Havana in 2007. Read More...