CLASE 10. Speaking about Time and Weather. Gramática

Adjective pronouns

Adjective pronouns indicate quantity or a subset of objects. Try to memorize these words:

mucho – many, much (Spanish doesn´t distinguish them)
poco – few
bastante – enough
demasiado – too many
otro – other, another
cualquier, cualquiera – any
todo – every, all
alguno – some, any
ninguno – any

Adjective pronouns can be used alone (as pronouns) or to modify nouns. In the last case, unlike other Spanish adjectives, they should be placed before a noun:

Pocos saben coreano – Few know Korean
Pocas personas saben coreano – Few people know Korean

In English the words many, few, enough, too many, every, any, some (mucho, poco, bastante, demasiado, todo, alguno, ninguno) do not change. In Spanish they must agree with their nouns:

mucho tiempo – much time
mucha gente – many people
muchos chicos – many boys
muchas chicas – many girls

The word alguno is used both as English some, to indicate some indefined quantity, and as English any to ask questions. The word ninguno is only used in negative clauses:

Tengo algunos libros – I have some books

¿Tienes alguna película? – Do you have any movie?
No, no tengo ninguna – I have not any.

Alguno and ninguno before a noun lose the final -o:

– ¿Haces algún___ deporte? – Do you practice any sport?
– No, no hago ninguno. – No, (I practice) any.

Cualquiera as an adjective loses the final -a:

– ¿Qué libro quieres comprar?
– Cualquiera

Quiero comprar cualquier_ libro

You shouldn´t put any article before adjective pronouns:

¿Vemos ___ otra película? (NO *una otra película) – Let´s see another movie?
Tengo ___ mucho frío (NO *el mucho frío) – I´m very cold
Voy a comprar ___ cualquier libro – I´ll buy any book
Tengo ____ algunos libros españoles – I have some book in Spanish

The adjective todo means every and all:

Voy a comprar todos los libros – I´ll buy all the books
Trabajo todos los días – I work every day

Indefinite and negative pronouns and adverbs

We use indefinite and negative pronouns and adverbs in order to refer indefinite or inexistent objects, people, moments...

Multiple negation

In Spanish there only can be one negation before the verb:

CORRECTO: Nunca voy al cine
INCORRECTO: Nunca *no voy al cine

Of course, you can combine the negative answer no with the verb negation:

– ¿Vas mucho al cine? – Do you go to the cinema often?
– No, nunca voy al cine – No, I never go to the cinema.

In negative clauses in Spanish there must be one negation before the verb. But after the verb you also must use negative pronouns and adverbs, not indefinite ones:

CORRECTO: Aquí no viene nadie
INCORRECTO: Aquí *___ viene nadie
INCORRECTO: Aquí no viene *alguien

There can be multiple negations after the verb:

Aquí no viene nunca nadie

llevar + tiempo

In order to indicate the duration of an action, use llevar + tiempo:

Llevo 3 años en Madrid = I have been in Madrid for 3 years, and I´m in Madrid now
Mi madre lleva una semana en el hospital = My mother has been in the hospital for a week (and she´s in the hospital now)
Llevamos un mes con lluvias y frío = It has been raining for a month and it´s been cold

You also should translate How long using llevar:

¿Cuánto tiempo llevas en España? – How long have you been in Spain?
¿Cuánto tiempo llevas con el español? – How long have you been studying Spanish?

¡Ojo! We use this construction ONLY for non-ended actions.