Spanish · Beginner (A1) · Chapter 6 of 12
My home
Mi casa
Name the rooms and furniture in your home, say where things are with estar, describe them with ser and colours, and say how you are.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Name the rooms and furniture in a home
- Say where things are with estar
- Use colours and make them agree with the noun
- Choose between ser and estar
Listen
Sergio and Elena live in a flat in Bilbao. Sergio is late for work and can't find his things. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Sergio
Elena, ¿dónde está mi móvil?
Elena, where's my phone?
Elena
Está en la cocina, encima de la mesa.
It's in the kitchen, on the table.
Sergio
No, no está allí.
No, it isn't there.
Elena
Mira en el salón. ¿Está debajo del sofá?
Look in the living room. Is it under the sofa?
Sergio
Sí, está aquí. Gracias. ¿Y mi mochila?
Yes, it's here. Thanks. And my backpack?
Elena
¿La mochila negra? Está en el dormitorio, al lado de la cama.
The black backpack? It's in the bedroom, next to the bed.
Sergio
No, mi mochila es azul.
No, my backpack is blue.
Elena
¿Azul? Ah, está en el salón, detrás de la puerta.
Blue? Oh, it's in the living room, behind the door.
Sergio
Sí, aquí está. Hasta luego, Elena.
Yes, here it is. See you later, Elena.
Elena
Adiós. ¡Qué nervioso estás!
Bye. You're so stressed!
Understand
Estar: where things are
In chapter 4 you met ¿Dónde está…? It comes from , the second Spanish verb for “to be”. Use it for location, where someone or something is, and for how someone is at the moment (see the last section). Here are all its forms.
Remember the difference from chapter 4: use to say that something exists, and to say where a particular thing is. (There's a table in the kitchen). (The table is in the kitchen).
| Person | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| (I'm in the living room.) | ||
| (Where are you?) | ||
| / / | (The phone is here.) | |
| / | (We're in the kitchen.) | |
| / | (Are you in the bedroom?) | |
| / / | (The books are over there.) |
On, under, next to: saying where
Most of these expressions end in (of). When meets , they join to make : (under the sofa), not . With , nothing changes: .
In the same way, + becomes . That's why you say (next to).
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| in, on | (in the kitchen) | |
| on, on top of | (on the table) | |
| under | (under the sofa) | |
| next to | (next to the bed) | |
| in front of | (in front of the sofa) | |
| behind | (behind the door) | |
| between | (between the table and the door) |
Colours and other adjectives: after the noun, and they agree
An “adjective” is a word that describes a noun, like a colour or (expensive). Adjectives usually come after the noun: (the black backpack). They also agree with the noun, which means they change to match it. Adjectives ending in -o change to -a for feminine nouns and add -s for plurals: , .
Most adjectives ending in -e or in a consonant are the same for masculine and feminine (but nationalities change: , ). In the plural they add -s or -es: , . Agreement also works after and : .
| English | Masculine | Feminine | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| black | / | ||
| white | / | ||
| red | / | ||
| yellow | / | ||
| green | |||
| blue |
Ser or estar?
Spanish has two verbs for “to be”. Use (chapter 1) for what someone or something is: name, origin, job, and what it's like, such as its colour or size. Use for where someone or something is, and for how someone is at the moment: well, tired, stressed.
So asks how someone is today. Useful answers: (well), (not well), (tired), (happy), (nervous, stressed). The adjectives agree as usual: . To say “You're so…!”, use :
| : what it is, what it's like | : where it is, how it is now |
|---|---|
| (My backpack is blue.) | (My backpack is in the living room.) |
| (Sergio is from Bilbao.) | (Sergio is in the kitchen.) |
| (The sofa is big.) | (I'm very tired.) |
More in the grammar: Adjectives: agreement and position · Articles: el, la, los, las, un, una · Ser and estar: two verbs for “to be”
New words
- el móvilmobile phone · Latin America:
- la cocinakitchen · feminine
- la mesatable · feminine
- encima deon, on top of
- el salónliving room · masculine
- debajo deunder
- el sofásofa · masculine
- la mochilabackpack, rucksack · feminine
- el dormitoriobedroom · masculine
- al lado denext to
- la camabed · feminine
- detrás debehind
- la puertadoor · feminine
- el bañobathroom · masculine
Practise
1.The books are on the table. Which sentence is correct?
2.Complete with the right form of .
Where are you, Sergio?
3.Write “white” in Spanish. Make it agree with the noun.
The bed is white.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.The phone is under the sofa.
5.Sergio is tired this morning. Which sentence is correct?
6.Match the Spanish with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
¿Dónde está mi móvil?
Where's my phone?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.