{"id":144744,"date":"2024-01-22T17:20:45","date_gmt":"2024-01-22T22:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/advanced-spanish-grammar\/"},"modified":"2025-06-02T04:19:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T08:19:39","slug":"advanced-spanish-grammar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/advanced-spanish-grammar\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Advanced Spanish Grammar Concepts"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Imagine being able to master advanced Spanish grammar to the point where you feel confident carrying out seemingly impossible feats of Spanish grammar.\u00a0It\u2019s even possible to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/how-to-learn-spanish-fast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">speak Spanish like a native speaker<\/a>, if you just dedicate some time every day toward this goal.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m here to teach you some advanced Spanish grammar tricks and have you on your way to becoming a Spanish grammar master. These mini-lessons will help you tackle some of the trickier aspects of grammar with more ease, such as the personal <em>a<\/em>, uses of the infinitive and more.<\/p>\n<p>[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>1. Comparison With a Number and a Clause<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/spanish\/blog\/spanish-comparisons\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Comparison in Spanish<\/a> is easy, right?<\/p>\n<p>You use <strong><em>m\u00e1s\/menos&#8230;que<\/em><\/strong> and you are ready to go:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Tengo m\u00e1s libros que Teresa.<\/em> (I have more books than Teresa.)<\/p>\n<p>But what happens when you want to compare a number? Have a look at the following sentence, which is an example of a very common mistake among students of Spanish:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Hab\u00eda <strong>m\u00e1s <del>que<\/del><\/strong> 9 personas en la cola.<\/em>\u00a0(There were more than 9 people in the line.)<\/p>\n<p>It may seem this sentence has everything it needs in order to be correct, but it doesn&#8217;t!<\/p>\n<p>When dealing with comparisons with a number, forget about <strong><em>que<\/em> <\/strong>and use <strong><em>de<\/em><\/strong> instead!<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Hab\u00eda <strong>m\u00e1s de<\/strong> 9 personas en la cola.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Estuve esperando que volviera <strong>m\u00e1s de<\/strong> 3 meses.<\/em> (I was waiting for him to come back for more than 3 months.)<\/p>\n<p>And now comes the funny part.<\/p>\n<p>You can say\u00a0<strong><em>no m\u00e1s que<\/em><\/strong> <strong>+ [number]<\/strong><strong>,<\/strong><em><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>meaning &#8220;only [number].&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>However, although <strong><em>no m\u00e1s que<\/em><\/strong> and <strong><em>no m\u00e1s de<\/em><\/strong> may have a quite similar meaning, there is definitely a difference between them, so try not to mix them up!<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>No quiero tener m\u00e1s que un hijo.<\/em> (I only want to have one child.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 80px;\"><em>No quiero tener m\u00e1s de un hijo.<\/em> (I don\u2019t want to have more than one child.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>\u00a0<\/em><em>No necesito m\u00e1s que 5 huevos.<\/em> (I only need 5 eggs.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 80px;\"><em>No necesito m\u00e1s de 5 huevos.<\/em> (I don&#8217;t need more than 5 eggs.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>No tengo m\u00e1s que 50 euros.<\/em> (I only have 50 euros.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 80px;\"><em>No tengo m\u00e1s de 50 euros.\u00a0<\/em>(I don&#8217;t have more than 50 euros.)<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to comparing with a clause, what we need to bear in mind is whether we have a noun or pronoun to compare or not.<\/p>\n<p>If we have one, just use <strong><em>m\u00e1s\/menos <\/em>+<em> del\/de la\/de los\/de las <\/em>+<em> que<\/em><\/strong>, depending on the noun you are referring to:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Tengo m\u00e1s dinero del que necesito.<\/em> (I have more money than I need.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Corro menos kil\u00f3metros de los que sol\u00eda correr antes.<\/em> (I run fewer kilometers now than I used to.)<\/p>\n<p>If you don&#8217;t have any noun or pronoun to compare, use <strong><em>m\u00e1s\/menos de lo que<\/em><em>:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Eres m\u00e1s alto de lo que pensaba.<\/em> (You are taller than I thought.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Estoy m\u00e1s cansado de lo que imaginas.\u00a0<\/em>(I am more tired than you imagine.)<\/p>\n<p>Easy!<\/p>\n<h2>2. Feelings and <em>T<\/em><em>ener<\/em> Expressions<\/h2>\n<p>Have you ever gotten into trouble because you said <em><strong>&#8220;estoy caliente&#8221;<\/strong><\/em> instead of <em><strong>&#8220;tengo calor&#8221;<\/strong><\/em><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>(see below)?<\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t worry! This is a very common error among learners of Spanish.<\/p>\n<p>In Spanish, we like to &#8220;have&#8221; a feeling rather than &#8220;being&#8221; it. Just remember to use <strong><em>tener <\/em><\/strong>in front of this kind of expression and you will not have to feel embarrassed anymore.<\/p>\n<p>The most common <em>tener<\/em> expressions are&#8230;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Tener calor<\/em><\/strong> (to be hot):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 70px;\"><em>Ayer tuve mucho calor.<\/em> (I was very hot yesterday.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Tener cuidado<\/em><\/strong> (to be careful):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 70px;\"><em>Ten cuidado con lo que deseas.<\/em> (Be careful what you wish for.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Tener experiencia<\/em><\/strong> (to be experienced):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 70px;\"><em>Tom tiene experiencia en la venta de televisores.<\/em> (Tom is experienced in selling TVs.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Tener fr\u00edo<\/em><\/strong> (to be cold):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 70px;\"><em>\u00bfDe verdad tienes fr\u00edo?<\/em> (Are you really cold?)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Tener hambre<\/em><\/strong> (to be hungry):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 70px;\"><em>Al volver a casa ten\u00eda mucha hambre.<\/em> (He was very hungry when he came back home.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Tener miedo<\/em><\/strong> (to be afraid):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 70px;\"><em>Tengo miedo a las ara\u00f1as.<\/em> (I am afraid of spiders.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Tener prisa<\/em><\/strong> (to be in a hurry):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 70px;\"><em>Por favor, haz la compra que yo tengo prisa.<\/em> (Please, do the shopping. I am in a hurry.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Tener raz\u00f3n<\/em><\/strong> (to be right):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 70px;\"><em>Creo que ella tiene raz\u00f3n porque a\u00fan no hemos recibido nada.<\/em> (I think she is right because we haven\u2019t received anything yet.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Tener sed<\/em><\/strong> (to be thirsty):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 70px;\"><em>Yo nunca tengo sed.<\/em> (I am never thirsty.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Tener sue\u00f1o<\/em><\/strong> (to be sleepy):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 70px;\"><em>Siempre tengo mucho sue\u00f1o despu\u00e9s de almorzar.<\/em> (I am always very sleepy after lunch.)<\/p>\n<h2>3. The Imperative with Object and Reflexive Pronouns<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/spanish-pronouns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reflexive and object pronouns<\/a> are added to the end of the imperative form when we have a positive imperative. This shouldn&#8217;t be difficult for an advanced learner to grasp, since we have seen this already happening in infinitives and gerunds.<\/p>\n<p>Bear in mind that we normally keep the accent in the same place after adding the pronoun or pronouns, so you will have to add an accent mark if the final word needs it.<\/p>\n<p>Have a look at some examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>C<strong>o<\/strong>me<\/em> (Eat!) \u2192\u00a0<em>C<strong>\u00f3<\/strong>melo<\/em> (Eat it!)<\/li>\n<li><em>B<strong>e<\/strong>sa<\/em> (Kiss!) \u2192\u00a0<em>B<strong>\u00e9<\/strong>sala<\/em> (Kiss her!)<\/li>\n<li><em>D<strong>a<\/strong><\/em> (Give!) \u2192\u00a0<em>D<strong>\u00e1<\/strong>melo<\/em> (Give it to me!)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If we need to add two pronouns, remember the rule <strong>IO \u2014 DO<\/strong> (Indirect Object \u2014 Direct Object), or as we colloquially say in Spanish, <strong><em>Primero las personas y luego las cosas<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(People first, then things):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Devuelve \u2192\u00a0Devu\u00e9lve<strong>me<\/strong>\u00a0\u2192 Devu\u00e9lveme<strong>lo<\/strong><\/em> (Give it back to me!)<\/li>\n<li><em>Explica \u2192\u00a0Expl\u00edca<strong>le<\/strong>\u00a0\u2192 Expl\u00edcase<strong>lo<\/strong><\/em>* (Explain it to him.)<\/li>\n<li><em>Enviemos \u2192\u00a0Envi\u00e9mos<strong>le<\/strong>\u00a0\u2192 Envi\u00e9mose<strong>las<\/strong><\/em>* (Let&#8217;s send them to him.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>*Remember that pronouns <strong><em>le<\/em><\/strong> and <strong><em>les<\/em><\/strong> become<em>\u00a0<strong>se<\/strong><\/em> when they have a second pronoun after them.<\/p>\n<p>Another thing to take into account is the fact that in reflexive verbs, the <strong><em>vosotros<\/em><\/strong> imperative loses its final &#8211;<strong><em>d<\/em><\/strong> before adding the ending &#8211;<strong><em>os<\/em><em>:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Afeitarse<\/em>\u00a0(to shave) \u2192<em>\u00a0Afeita<strong>d<\/strong>\u00a0\u2192 Afeita<strong>os<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Ducharse <\/em>(to shower)<em>\u00a0\u2192 Ducha<strong>d<\/strong>\u00a0\u2192 Ducha<strong>os<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Levantarse <\/em>(to get up)<em>\u00a0\u2192 Levanta<strong>d<\/strong>\u00a0\u2192 Levanta<strong>os<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There is only one exception to this rule! The verb <strong><em>ir<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(to go) keeps the &#8211;<strong><em>d<\/em><em>:<\/em> <em>\u00a1Idos!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When we have a negative imperative, the pronouns precede it. Remember that the <strong><em>le<\/em><em>\u00a0\u2192<\/em><em>\u00a0se<\/em> rule<\/strong> also applies here:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>No comas<\/em> (Don&#8217;t eat!)<\/li>\n<li><em>No lo comas<\/em> (Don&#8217;t eat it!)<\/li>\n<li><em>No le des<\/em> (Don&#8217;t give to her!)<\/li>\n<li><em>No se lo des<\/em> (Don&#8217;t give it to her!)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>4. Uses of the Infinitive<\/h2>\n<p>Infinitives can fulfill many different functions both in Spanish and English. However, we Spaniards love to use our infinitives probably as much as English speakers love to use their gerunds (just kidding!).<\/p>\n<p>Here you have some of the most important uses of the infinitive in Spanish.<\/p>\n<p><strong>a. We use infinitives after adjectives.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Es imposible saber la verdad.<\/em> (It is impossible to know the truth.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Es bonito ver el atardecer contigo.<\/em> (It is beautiful to see the sunset with you.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Considero interesante leer ensayos.<\/em> (I consider it interesting to read essays.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>b. We use the infinitive as a noun in Spanish. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It happens that in English you would use an &#8211;<strong>ing<\/strong> form in these cases:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Me gusta correr.<\/em> (I like running.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Fumar es malo para la salud.<\/em> (Smoking is bad for your health.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Detestamos comer pizza.<\/em> (We hate eating pizza.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>c. When we have two verbs one after another, the second one will always be in its infinitive form. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Two examples of this can be found above. Here you have some more:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Quiero comprar un coche.<\/em>\u00a0(I want to buy a car.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>\u00bfTe apetece ir al cine?<\/em>\u00a0(Do you feel like going to the cinema?)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>No necesito estudiar m\u00e1s.<\/em>\u00a0(I don&#8217;t need to study more.)<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<strong>d. We use infinitives after prepositions.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Fui a Espa\u00f1a para visitar a mi familia.<\/em>\u00a0(I went to Spain in order to visit my family.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Sue\u00f1a con volar.<\/em>\u00a0(He dreams of flying.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Acabo de terminar de trabajar.<\/em>\u00a0(I have just finished working.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>e. We normally use the infinitive with instructions (especially in recipes) and warnings.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>A\u00f1adir el az\u00facar y mezclar.<\/em>\u00a0(Add the sugar and mix.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>No tocar.<\/em>\u00a0(Don&#8217;t touch.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Manipular con cuidado.<\/em>\u00a0(Handle with care.)<\/p>\n<h2>5. The Personal <em>A<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>The Spanish preposition <strong><em>a<\/em><\/strong> has a lot of uses and tends to be one of those prepositions that appear in many students&#8217; nightmares. What a lot of learners don&#8217;t know is that, apart from its normal uses as a common preposition, <strong><em>a<\/em><\/strong> has another very important function: marking the personal object pronoun.<\/p>\n<p>When our object or pronoun refers to a <strong>definite person or beloved animal<\/strong>, the preposition <strong><em>a<\/em><\/strong> precedes it:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Estoy buscando <strong>a mi hermana.<\/strong><\/em> (I am looking for my sister.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Voy a darles de comer <strong>a las tortugas.<\/strong><\/em> (I am going to feed the turtles.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Esta ma\u00f1ana he visitado <strong>a mi abuela.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(I visited grandma this morning.)<\/p>\n<p>Notice this doesn&#8217;t happen if we have an indefinite object or thing:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Estoy buscando un profesor de franc\u00e9s.<\/em> (I am looking for a French teacher.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Voy a comer sopa.<\/em> (I am going to eat some soup.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Esta ma\u00f1ana he visitado un museo.<\/em> (I visited a museum this morning.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Necesito una novia.<\/em> (I need a girlfriend.)<\/p>\n<p>Also, use the personal <strong><em>a<\/em><\/strong> when <strong><em>alguien<\/em>, <em>nadie<\/em>, <\/strong><em><strong>alg\u00fan<\/strong> <strong>(-o,-a, -os, -as)<\/strong><\/em><strong>,<\/strong> <em><strong>ning\u00fan<\/strong> <strong>(-o, -a, -os, -as)<\/strong><\/em> or <strong><em>qui\u00e9n<\/em><\/strong> function as direct objects:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Mi primo ha ido a visitar <strong>a alguien.<\/strong><\/em> (My cousin has gone to visit someone.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>No quiero ver <strong>a nadie.<\/strong><\/em> (I don\u2019t want to see anybody.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>\u00bfHas visto <strong>a alguno<\/strong> de los invitados?<\/em> (Have you seen any of the guests?)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>No, no he visto <strong>a ninguno.<\/strong><\/em> (No, I haven\u2019t seen any of them.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>\u00bf<strong>A qui\u00e9n<\/strong> llamas?<\/em> (Who are you calling?)<\/p>\n<p>And that&#8217;s it! Now you will not need <strong><em>a nadie<\/em><\/strong> correcting your mistakes!<\/p>\n<h2>6. Augmentatives, Diminutives and Pejoratives<\/h2>\n<p>Augmentatives, diminutives and pejoratives are formed by adding suffixes at the end of a word. There are many suffixes in Spanish that can be used in order to change the meaning of a word, but the following are the ones most often used.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Augmentatives<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Augmentative suffixes often make the noun bigger. However, very often an augmentative suffix can be used to add a sense of gawkiness and clumsiness. The most common augmentative suffixes are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>-\u00f3n\/-ona\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>casa <\/em>(house)<em>\u00a0\u2192 casona<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>-azo\/-aza\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>mueble <\/em>(furniture)<em>\u00a0\u2192 mueblazo<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>-udo\/-uda<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This is normally used with parts of the body as in\u00a0<em><strong>cabezudo<\/strong>,<\/em>\u00a0or &#8220;large-headed.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Diminutives<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Diminutive suffixes are used for two main purposes. Firstly, we use diminutive suffixes to make the noun smaller.<\/p>\n<p>Have a look at the most common ones:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>-ito\/-ita<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This is probably the most usual, as in:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>casa \u2192\u00a0casita <\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>plato<\/em>\u00a0(plate) \u2192<em>\u00a0platito <\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>libro <\/em>(book)<em>\u00a0\u2192 librito<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>-illo\/-illa<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>p\u00e1jaro <\/em>(bird)<em>\u00a0\u2192 pajarillo <\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>tel\u00e9fono <\/em>(telephone)<em>\u00a0\u2192 telefonillo <\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>lente <\/em>(lens)<em>\u00a0\u2192 lentilla<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>-\u00edn\/-ina<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>peque\u00f1o <\/em>(young\/small)<em>\u00a0\u2192 peque\u00f1\u00edn <\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>pillo <\/em>(mischievous, rascal)<em>\u00a0\u2192 pill\u00edn<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>-ico\/-ica<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>hombre <\/em>(man)<em>\u00a0\u2192 hombrecico <\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>puerta <\/em>(door)<em>\u00a0\u2192 puertica <\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>mesa <\/em>(table)<em>\u00a0\u2192 mesica<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>-uelo\/-uela<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>ladr\u00f3n <\/em>(thief, robber)<em>\u00a0\u2192 ladronzuelo<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Secondly, we use diminutive suffixes to imply endearment:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Francisco \u2192\u00a0Francisquito<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Pap\u00e1 \u2192\u00a0Papito\/Papa\u00edto<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Hermano \u2192\u00a0Hermanillo<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Jos\u00e9 \u2192\u00a0Josel\u00edn<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Pejoratives<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Pejoratives are used to imply grime, ugliness, etc. Spanish people are masters in creating pejoratives from almost any word. There are, however, a couple of suffixes that tend to appear more often than others. Have a look at them:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>-aco\/-aca<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>libro \u2192\u00a0libraco <\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>mueble \u2192\u00a0mueblaco<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>-acho\/-acha<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>hilo <\/em>(thread)<em>\u00a0\u2192 hilacho <\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>rico <\/em>(rich man)<em>\u00a0\u2192 ricacho<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>-ucho\/-ucha<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>cama <\/em>(bed)<em>\u00a0\u2192 camucha <\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>cuarto<\/em> (room)<em>\u00a0\u2192 cuartucho<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>-ejo\/-eja<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>palabra <\/em>(word)<em>\u00a0\u2192 palabreja <\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>calle <\/em>(street)<em>\u00a0\u2192 calleja<\/em><\/p>\n<p>And now take that<strong> <em>libraco<\/em><\/strong> and go study!<\/p>\n<h2>7. Reflexive Verbs with Change in Meaning<\/h2>\n<p>Normally, the difference between a non-reflexive verb and its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/spanish\/blog\/spanish-reflexive-verbs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reflexive counterpart<\/a> is nonexistent, or at least very, very slight. Some examples of this are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>comer <\/em>(to eat)<em>\u00a0\u2192 comerse\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>beber <\/em>(to drink)<em>\u00a0\u2192 beberse\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>tomar <\/em>(to take)<em>\u00a0\u2192 tomarse\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>leer <\/em>(to read)<em>\u00a0\u2192 leerse\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Note: Generally, while the change in meaning may in fact be very slight, the reflexive form intensifies the meaning of the verb. For instance, in the first two examples above, the reflexive form can also mean to &#8220;eat up&#8221; or to &#8220;drink up.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>However, there are some verbs in Spanish that have different meanings (sometimes not related at all) depending on whether we are using them as reflexives or non-reflexives.<\/p>\n<p>Writing down a complete list would be outside the time and space scope of this post, but there are some commonly used verbs worth mentioning:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>acostar <\/em>(to put to bed) \u2192\u00a0<em>acostarse <\/em>(to go to bed)<\/li>\n<li><em>cambiar<\/em> (to change) \u2192\u00a0<em>cambiarse<\/em> (to change clothes)<\/li>\n<li><em>dormir<\/em> (to sleep) \u2192\u00a0<em>dormirse<\/em> (to fall asleep)<\/li>\n<li><em>encontrar<\/em> (to find) \u2192\u00a0<em>encontrarse <\/em>(to be located)<\/li>\n<li><em>levantar<\/em> (to lift up) \u2192\u00a0<em>levantarse <\/em>(to get up, to stand up)<\/li>\n<li><em>llevar<\/em> (to carry) \u2192\u00a0<em>llevarse<\/em> (to take)<\/li>\n<li><em>negar <\/em>(to deny) \u2192\u00a0<em>negarse<\/em> (to refuse to)<\/li>\n<li><em>parecer<\/em> (to seem like) \u2192\u00a0<em>parecerse<\/em> (to look physically like)<\/li>\n<li><em>perder<\/em> (to lose) \u2192\u00a0<em>perderse<\/em> (to get lost)<\/li>\n<li><em>referir<\/em> (to refer) \u2192\u00a0<em>referirse<\/em> (to concern)<\/li>\n<li><em>reunir<\/em> (to collect) \u2192\u00a0<em>reunirse<\/em> (to assemble)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I hope that <em>no te has dormido<\/em> reading this post!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>As you can see, you just need some 10 minutes a day in order to learn something new with these mini-lessons.<\/p>\n<p>Start using this technique on a day-to-day basis, and you will very soon realize you have been making excuses not to study, because it is not simply a matter of time.<\/p>\n<p>Hope you enjoyed the post. See you soon!<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>And One More Thing\u2026<\/h2>\r\n<p>\r\nIf you've made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and <strong><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> will then love FluentU<\/a>.<\/strong>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>\r\nOther sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You\u2019ll learn Spanish as it\u2019s actually spoken by real people.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1234 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/Spanish-1.jpg\" alt=\"learn-spanish-with-videos\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\n<strong>FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts.<\/strong> You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don\u2019t know, you can add it to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-19339\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/Spanish-2.png\" alt=\"learn-spanish-with-interactive-subtitled-videos\" width=\"320\" height=\"569\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nReview a complete interactive transcript under the <strong>Dialogue<\/strong> tab, and find words and phrases listed under <strong>Vocab<\/strong>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1235 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/Spanish-3.jpg\" alt=\"learn-spanish-with-songs\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nLearn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU\u2019s robust learning engine. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you\u2019re on.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1236 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/Spanish-4.jpg\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nThe best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you\u2019re learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it\u2019s time to review what you\u2019ve learned.<strong> Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they\u2019re learning with the same video.<\/strong>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nStart using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a>\r\n<\/p> \r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Imagine being able to master advanced Spanish grammar to the point where you feel confident carrying out seemingly impossible feats of Spanish grammar.\u00a0It\u2019s even possible to speak Spanish like a&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":249091,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"7 Advanced Spanish Grammar Concepts | FluentU Spanish Blog","description":"Learning advanced Spanish grammar can be a real challenge, but it doesn't have to be! Follow along with these seven mini-lessons and master advanced Spanish grammar concepts like reflexive commands, using \"tener\" to express feelings, common uses of infinitives and more."},"footnotes":""},"categories":[590,596],"tags":[],"coauthors":[191],"class_list":["post-144744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spanish","category-spanish-grammar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/121"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144744"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":254033,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144744\/revisions\/254033"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/249091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=144744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144744"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=144744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}