12/26/01 - How Do You Say "Supposed To"?
Tengo que often works fine as a way of saying "I'm supposed to," but there are ways of expression various shades of meaning. Intonation and context do make a difference too.

12/19/01 - The Preposition Con
Beginners usually find the preposition con straightforward, as it nearly always is the equivalent of the English "with." But there are some ways in which the Spanish preposition is used differently.

12/18/01 - What Does This Proverb Mean?
Understanding the culture helps with understanding some proverbs, but more often what's needed is practice thinking figuratively instead of literally.

12/10/01 - Demonstrative Adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives are those adjectives whose function is to point at nouns. Learn how they are used, and how they differ from the English equivalents. Updated 01/02/02.

12/08/01 - Janucá
Hannukah celebrates a victory in the Jewish struggle for religious liberty and survival. Read about its origins in this Spanish-language article written by Lisa Katz, the Judaism Guide for About.com. Updated 12/16/03.

12/05/01 - 2002 Calendars
Take a look at these calendars made specifically for learning Spanish, as well as others that will make you want to travel to where Spanish is spoken.

12/04/01 - Bestselling Spanish-Language Books of 2001
Practice your reading with one of these books that was popular with readers in Spanish-language countries during 2001.

12/03/01 - Prepositional Object Pronouns
Some pronouns that come after prepositions are the same ones as used for the subjects of sentences, but others are different.

11/28/01 - What's the Difference Between Muchacho/a and Chico/a?
The two words are basically synonymous terms for "boy" and "girl," but there are regional differences in how they're used.

11/27/01 - Chart-Topping Spanish-Language Albums in 2001
Albums by Shakira, Marco Antonio Solis and Carlos Vives are among those that were No. 1-selling albums during 2001. Learn about them and where you can buy them.

11/26/01 - Using Para
The preposition para is both common and useful. But it can be confusing English speakers, because they often confuse it with the preposition por.

11/26/01 - Top Spanish-Language Hits You May Have Heard on U.S. English-Language Radio
You don't hear very much foreign-language music on U.S. English-language radio stations. Even so, a few Spanish-language or bilingual songs have broken through to become hits.

11/21/01 - Top Instructional Audio CDs and Tapes
Put your commuting time to an advantage, or use these tapes and CDs to improve your pronunciation and command of spoken Spanish.

11/20/01 - Top Spanish Instructional Books
If you're teaching yourself Spanish or are looking for material to supplement what you're learning in class, one of these books may help.

11/19/01 - Indirect-Object Pronouns
In many cases, Spanish uses the same words for direct-object pronouns as for indirect-object pronouns. But there are some key differences.

11/16/01 - How Can I Change My Browser to Spanish?
Getting a Spanish-language browser can be as easy as downloading and installing a new one.

11/15/01 - TeLL me More (Version 5)
This software for learning Spanish isn't quite the same as having a live teacher, but it comes pretty close for moderately priced software.

11/13/01 - Larousse Mini Dictionary/Mini Diccionario
This dictionary is made specifically for travelers, including a conversation guide and cultural information.

11/12/01 - Top Electronic Translators
These tiny gadgets can instantly give you translations of thousands of words. Many travelers find them useful, although they are usually more expensive than the equivalent information in printed form.

11/12/01 - Shakira, This Time in English
Colombian-born Shakira has become internationally famous for her sons in Spanish. Now she hopes to expand her popularity in the English-speaking world.

11/06/01 - Am I Too Old To Learn Spanish?
No, say those who have done it. Learning might in fact be more difficult, they say, but increased motivation can make the task easier.

11/06/01 - Using Estar (To Be)
Estar is one of the two common Spanish verbs usually translated as "to be." Learn how to use it, and how to distinguish it from the other "to be" verb, ser.

11/05/01 - Harry Potter Books in Spanish
The adventures of this youngster are available in Spanish translations.

11/05/01 - Left Behind Series in Spanish
Most of these religion-themed books with a huge following are available in Spanish-language paperback.

11/01/01 - Top Spanish Instructional Videos
Want to give your children a head start on learning Spanish? Or want to learn yourself while watching TV? If so, give one of these videos a try.

11/01/01 - Top Spanish-Language Videos (Spain)
Films by Pedro Almodóvar and others are in this collection of films from Spain.

11/01/01 - Top Spanish-Language Videos (Latin America)
Mexico may be known for low-budget flicks, but you'll find quality Mexican films here as well as others from throughout Latin America.

11/01/01 - Top Spanish-Language Videos (U.S.)
Not all Spanish-language films come from Spanish-speaking countries. Here are some from the United States.

10/25/01 - HarperCollins Unabridged Spanish Dictionary
This comprehensive, hefty dictionary is a favorite with users.

10/24/01 - Pronouncing Fui and Similar Words
Why isn't there an accent in words such as fue and fui? And how are they pronounced?

10/23/01 - Using Ser (To Be)
Learn how to use ser, one of the Spanish verbs usually translated as "to be."

10/22/01 - Top Spanish-English Dictionaries
This is a listing of some of the best Spanish-English dictionaries.

10/22/01 - American Heritage Spanish Dictionary Notebook
This dictionary is designed to fit in a three-ring binder.

10/22/01 - University of Chicago Spanish Dictionary
More than a decade old, this paperback dictionary remains popular.

10/22/01 - Pocket Oxford Spanish Dictionary
Description of this abridged paperback dictionary.

10/22/01 - Oxford Spanish Dictionary
This is one of the most thorough Spanish-English dictionaries available.

10/22/01 - Larousse Compact Dictionary (Spanish-English).
Description of this comprehensive paperback dictionary.

10/22/01 - HarperCollins Spanish Dictionary.
Description of this popular paperback Spanish-English dictionary.

10/16/01 - Negation: Using No and Similar Words
Learn how to make negative sentences in this lesson for beginners.

10/16/01 - Before You Buy Products for Teaching Yourself Spanish
Tapes, software or books? What is best for one learner isn't necessarily best for another.

10/15/01 - What's Your Learning Style?
Some people learn by seeing, others by hearing, and others by doing. By knowing your learning style, you can adapt your lessons so you can learn most effectively. Updated with reader comments, 11/06/01.

10/09/01 - Using Tener
This lesson for beginners present the conjugation of tener and lists idiomatic expressions that include the verb.

10/08/01 - Before You Buy Books for the Spanish Student
How to select books for Spanish students. Updated 10/22/01.

10/08/01 - Guide Picks: Top Grammar Guides
If you're looking for a book to help you understand Spanish grammar, consider these recommendations.

10/08/01 - Review: A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish
Review of the book by John Butt and Carmen Benjamin.

10/08/01 - Review: ¡Búscalo! (Look It Up!)
Review of the book by William M. Clarkson and Guillermo Campos.

10/08/01 - Review: Spanish Grammar for Independent Learners
Review of the book by Avigail Azoulay and Arie Vicente.

10/01/01 - Polite Requests
Spanish has a number of ways you can ask people to do things for you instead of telling them what to do.

09/24/01 - Spanish's Arab Connection
Literally thousands of Spanish words have their origins in the Arabic language, and many of them have corresponding words in English. Updated 01/12/02.

09/17/01 - Commands and Requests, Part 2
The imperative mood isn't the only way to give commands in Spanish. Under some circumstances the subjunctive mood can be used to form commands, as can the infinitive. Updated.

09/11/01 - Las últimas noticias en español
Guide Extra: In the early hours of the terrorist attack on New York and Washington, D.C., Internet news surfers had an advantage in getting the news if they could read Spanish.

09/10/01 - Adverbial Phrases
Although adverbs can often be expressed by adding -mente to adjectives, they also are frequently expressed by the use of prepositional phrases.

09/03/01 - Compound Words
A shyster lawyer in Spanish is a lawsuit seeker, and a medical quack is a hernia remover, but a skyscraper is, well, a skyscraper. Learn how Spanish combines a verb and noun to form a compound word. Updated 04/01/02.

08/27/01 - Commands and Requests, Part 1
Learn how to give direct commands using the imperative mood of the verb. Updated 10/01/01.

08/20/01 - 10 Mistakes to Avoid While Learning Spanish
Follow these tips to help yourself get beyond the beginner's level of Spanish.

08/13/01 - Leísmo and Breaking the Rules
The Spanish Royal Academy says it's acceptable to substitute le for lo as a direct object in certain cases. But the cases allowed by the Academy aren't the only ones you'll hear or see.

08/06/01 - Trabalenguas (Tongue Twisters)
Do you think you handle Spanish pronunciation pretty well? If so, give these trabalenguas a try. Updated 01/11/04.

07/30/01 - Idioms Using Haber
Although haber is known best as an auxiliary verb and as a way of saying "there is" or "there are," it also is frequently used in idioms. Several of them are very commonly used.

07/23/01 - The Chevy Nova That Didn't Go
Did you laugh when you heard how Chevrolet couldn't market the Nova in Latin America because no va means "it doesn't go"? If you believed the story, the joke's on you. Updated 09/26/01.

07/16/01 - Crucigramas: Puzzles to Test Your Vocabulary
These four crossword puzzles ranging from fairly easy to fairly difficult can be used to test your vocabulary. And if you're a teacher or someone who would like to prepare puzzles for others, find out how to make them using free software.

07/09/01 - Close, But Not Quite
Spanish has numerous words that are similar to English words and even have the same meaning. But many of them, known as fickle friends, don't have the same meaning all the time, which can make their proper use a challenge. Updated 11/24/03.

07/02/01 - Inteligencia Artificial
Downloadable programs allow you to chat in Spanish with your computer.

06/25/01 - The Power of Poder
Poder and its conjugated forms have a variety of meanings: "to be able," "can," "could," "may" and "might" are among them. Learn how this verb is used to express capability as well as possibility and suggestion.

06/18/01 - Online Translation: Not Getting Better
If you know basic Spanish, you could probably figure out that el Mes de Historia Negra means "Black History Month." But one popular online translator interpreted the words as "Month than Tale Raven." Obviously, you need to look elsewhere for dependable translations.

06/11/01 - Double Negatives
Use a sentence such as "I don't know nobody" in an English class, and you're likely to get reprimanded for the double negative. In contrast, Spanish recognizes and even requires double and triple negatives.

06/04/01 - Learn While You Don't Earn
Do you want to improve your Spanish or use the speaking skills you already have while helping others? There's plenty of need for volunteers.

05/28/01 - Why? Just Because
Spanish has numerous ways of saying "because." Porque is the most common.

05/21/01 - CBS to Broadcast Soap Opera in Spanish
The network is also adding two major Latino characters to the telenovela in an attempt to increase the daytime drama's Hispanic audience.

05/14/01 - Use and Omission of the Definite Article
Sometimes when you use "the" in English, you use the equivalent Spanish word (el, la, los or las) and sometimes you don't, and sometimes Spanish includes one of those words when it isn't translated into English. Find out when to use the definite article.

05/07/01 - Spain's Linguistic Diversity
If you think that Spanish or Castilian is the language of Spain, you're only partially right. Updated 12/19/01.

04/30/01 - Neither Masculine nor Feminine
The neuter form isn't as common in Spanish as it is in German and some other languages, but it does exist and is used primarily to refer to ideas or concepts. Updated 05/10/01.

04/23/01 - Spanglish: English's Assault on Spanish
Like all living languages, Spanish is in a state of change. These days, the most visible sign of change is the increasing adoption of words from English.

04/16/01 - Meet the Poner Family
By adding prefixes to the common verb poner, you can create new verbs with a wide variety of meanings. Most of them are similar to English verbs ending in "-pose," but their meanings aren't always the same.

04/09/01 - Un himno favorito de Pascua
Easter is celebrated with enthusiasm in most of the Spanish-speaking world. Join in the celebration by singing this favorite Easter hymn in Spanish.

04/02/01 - Haber As an Auxiliary Verb: It's Perfect!
Learn how to use this common auxiliary verb to form the perfect tenses.

03/28/01 - Benicio Del Toro: A Spanish Precedent
The Puerto Rican-born actor had to relearn some of his Spanish for the role that won him an Academy Award, the first ever given for a mostly Spanish-speaking role.

03/19/01 - Proverbial Spanish
Spanish is rich in proverbs and sayings. Here's one for each day of the month, and you'll find links to hundreds more. Updated 12/18/01.

03/12/01 - Spanish Surnames
In Spanish-speaking countries a person receives surnames from both the mother's and father's sides of the family. Updated 02/28/04.

03/05/01 - What's What: Qué vs. cuál
The interrogatory pronouns qué and cuál can both mean "what" or "which." Learn when to use each one.

02/19/01 - Very Good Words to Use
The Spanish word muy is often used to translate the English "very." But there are plenty of alternatives that can add variety to your speech.

02/12/01 - Estévanico el moro: esclavo y explorador
The first non-native who visited what is now Arizona and New Mexico spoke Spanish, but he wasn't a white European. Read about this explorer in an article written for Black History Month. Feature is in both English and Spanish versions.

02/05/01 - Words to Fall in Love By
"Love" is most often translated as amor or amar, but you'd be making a mistake to use those words as your only translation. Updated 02/07/02.

01/29/01 - The Conditional Would Be Right
The conditional tense is difficult to classify, since unlike some other tenses it doesn't necessarily refer to a specific period of time such as past, present or future. Updated 12/12/01.

01/22/01 - Spanish Adds to Traffic's Realism
Steven Soderbergh's new motion picture about the drug trade was filmed partly in Spanish, and its use adds a note of realism to the compelling tale. Updated 03/25/01.

01/15/01 - Something Personal
The rules for when to use the personal a are straightforward — but there are exceptions and even exceptions to an exception. Modified 09/19/01.

01/08/01 - The Versatile Past Participle
This verb form can be used as a verb, an adjective or a noun. But don't despair — nearly all the past participle's usages have close parallels in English.

01/01/01 - Making Your TV Talk Spanish
Most modern TVs are capable of receiving a foreign-language soundtrack – but few broadcasters are taking advantage of the technology to provide programming in Spanish.