Complete Spanish

Track 9

1. saber, and the b / v connection again Vocabulary

Saber is to know. The British slang he's got savvy comes from Latin, and it is the same root: "he's got saber", he's got savvy.

saber
to know

Saber is spelled with a b while English says savvy with a /v/, so you can see the v and b connection crossing between the two languages. It is a b here, so give it a b sound.

Quiero saber · No quiero saber · Quiere saber · No quiere saber

2. quiero to quiere, o to e Grammar

Change the -o to an -e and I want becomes he wants, she wants, or formal you want.

quiero
I want
quiere
he, she, it wants; you (formal) want

¿Por qué no quiere saber? · Quiero saber por qué no quiere saber

3. sí is both yes and if Vocabulary

Sí is yes, and the same word is also if.

sí
yes
si
if

Quiero saber si quiere saber · Quiero saber si quiere invitarme

4. explicación is an exception Heads-up

English has explanation, but Spanish does not follow it. It is explicación, not "explanación", so the verb is explicar.

explicación → explicar (to explain)

English carries the same c root, though: we say explain but then inexplicable, which in Spanish is inexplicable.

Spanish also lets you say I want to explain you something directly, where English more commonly puts it as "I want to explain something to you".

Pero quiero explicar · Pero quiero explicarte algo

5. More verbs through the -ción route Vocabulary

imaginación → imaginar
imagination → to imagine
justificación → justificar
justification → to justify
iniciar
to start
invitar
to invite
informar
to inform, to let know

The /j/ becoming /kh/ rule applies to justificación.

No quiero imaginarlo · No intento justificarme · Quiero iniciarlo ahora · ¿Por qué no quiere informarme?

6. All your attention on one block at a time Method

Long sentences look overwhelming and unsayable. Divide them up and they are simple. Put 100% of your mental energy on the piece in front of you, say it, then let it go and look at the next piece. Once you have said a block you do not need to hold on to it.

quiero saber · por qué · no quiere · venir a la casa · a visitarme

Quiero saber por qué no quiere venir a la casa a visitarme.

Note the a before visitarme: even with a la casa sitting in between, you are still connecting to the feeling of venir, a verb of movement.

If we think slowly, we learn very quickly, and the process gets much faster. What to take away above all is the confidence to try to say what you are almost sure you cannot say. As English speakers you have so much convertible vocabulary that you will not realise you can convert until you try it.

When you understand a Spanish sentence, saying it back in whatever English feels comfortable to you is exactly right. Why doesn't he want to let me know? is as good as why doesn't he want to inform me?