Hard Spanish Made Easy
Hola amigos
When I first started learning Spanish I kept coming across words ending in “arse”.
That’s not as bad as it looks. It’s got nothing to do with a “burro”… it’s pronounced “AHR SEH”.
I am sure you have seen it too, with the words like these;
levantarse
cambiarse
casarse
preguntarse
acostumbrarse
cansarse
enfermarse
enojarse
escaparse
mejorarse
preocuparse
They are like taco stands in Tijuana, everywhere you look you see one.
And they have a cousin that used to cause me even more confusion. Their cousin is the pesky little pronoun se.
Se habla español.
Se lava las manos.
Se levanta temprano.
Se tiene que ir.
Everywhere you look se, se ,se. Que pasa? (What’s going on?)
There is a slim chance you may have figured this out for yourself. If you have, then a big tip of the hat to you. It literally took me years to get a handle on these verbs.
Most likely though, like me in trying to decode this part of Spanish, you’ve been hit by explanations that left you feeling more confused.
Or maybe it made sense sometimes, but at other times it seemed inconsistent.
Good news!
I can show you a much easier way to use this part of the Spanish language.
The secret is in making connection between Spanish and English.
Once you start seeing the connections, you’ll understand more of what is said to you.
It’s also a great way to fast-track you advancement in how you speak the language. It makes your Spanish sound more authentic, more articulate and more natural.
You can take your first step to more authentic Spanish today by joining in the conversation on the “Hard Spanish Made Easy” audio lesson.
Note: This lesson is one of a series of Spanish multipliers that I am currently writing. This one uses the formal form of Spanish.
I designed the lessons with my graduates of Synergy Spanish in mind.
It’s a sample from the third of five conversation multipliers that come with membership in Bola de Nieve, which is the follow up course after Synergy Spanish,
If you can already get by in Spanish or you have done that course, then this lesson will fall into place for you very easily.
On the other hand, if you find this lesson too difficult, you probably don’t yet have the foundation you need to fully enjoy Spanish.
All you are missing are some key language patterns that are very easy to learn. Synergy Spanish can get you caught up and have your Spanish flowing in just a few weeks.
Let me know what you think of the audio, and if you would like more lessons like this one.
(16 votes, average: 4.31 out of 5)
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Yes, loved the lesson on reflexives and would love more!
Mary
I am in college and I am taking Conversational Spanish. This class is terrible, but I also bought your Synergy program. I admit I am overloaded since I am taking 17 credit hours, but your lessons, and I admit I have just been scanning for the most part so far, have taught me more than this class has taught me. PERIOD. I sincerely hope you will continue to send the add-ons (cue cards, special lessons, and audio) and as I catch up on everything (I am graduating this month) I hope to excel in Spanish with your help.
I have 5 (cinco) different Spanish Lesson programs and they are all BS next to your style. Being able to see quiero (KEY-AIR-O) is what works for me. Yes, seeing pictures of anamals with their Spanish name attached works for objects, but for most words, the only picture quiero is how do I sound it out. Thank you and I have recommended this course and I printed out some of your free stuff to my classmates and teacher.
Marcus
Reply:
November 17th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
Muchas gracias por recomendar mi curso.
I am pleased it is helping you.
really useful lesson – have been struggling with this in reading spanish to help improve after completing the first synergy spanish lessons. makes more sense now – look forward to the next!
Hia Marcus, thanks once again for making spanish a little easier to understand, this lesson was great.
i will be ready to take up your ‘hard spanish made easy ‘ vert soon .
alec.
The sound is not very good, and I struggle to hear what is being said, but that is probably my computer ‘s fault. Good timing giving just enough pause to compose and get the sentence out without complete panic and at the same time without getting bored waiting for the next word/sentence. . Thank you for this, it keeps me on my toes and stops me getting lazy or complacent.
excellent
Yes, I loved the lesson. I would love more. I am anxiously waiting for more. I just got married to a cuban who I have been living with for 3 years. Your spanish courses have greatly helped us communicate better. He speaks spanish fluently and english is extremely limited. Thank you again for all your help through your lessons.
Marcus
Reply:
November 18th, 2010 at 12:21 am
felicidades
Cubans have the coolest accents.
Marcus,
Un otro leccion excellente. Me encanta todos sus lecciones. Y ese leccion es otro usar muchos veces para aprender la terea.
Tu haces trabajo bueno
Will
The lesson was very clear and easy to understand.
Hello!
This was realy good, interesting and easy to follow. Have just opened this page and wil search for a written page acording to the MP3
Your english is quite easy to understand, but helps seeing the text anyway; beeing norwegian, retired teacher, in that time scientific subjects. Now ling gran Canaria winter.
recuerdo
Nils
Marcus
Reply:
November 18th, 2010 at 12:22 am
I’ll make a transcript available shortly.
Everything I wanted to know about ” se ” — but was araid to ask. :>)
gracias senor, Mary
I have been learning Spanish for a couple of years now and am still having trouble with the reflexive. I would like to see more lessons.
how do i get to part 2 of this lesson on reflexsive verbs – ?? how many parts are there?
thanks, cy
Marcus
Reply:
November 18th, 2010 at 12:41 am
Hi Cy
There are 7 parts. You’re a member of Bola de Nieve, so you’ll get them in your member’s area shortly.
I love this lesson I would love some more
Marcus,
Exactly the kind of lesson I need. I’ve taken so many Spanish classes that I’m about to give it up. It’s always the “little” words that drive me crazy. Words like Se, Te, Que, Lo, Por, etc. Everytime I think I can construct a proper sentence, the answer is always different than my choice of words. Que mas nada!
Bill
thankyou marcus..,,.i do enjoy these lessons,.,however the audio is not very good, .,.your female speaker does not come across as well as the male spanish speaker,..,,.,.,.i go to spanish speaking countries all the time and these lessons are a great help.,.,,.,.,..thankyou again.,.,.,
binni
I agree the spanish speaking woman is very hard to understand but I am grateful for all the help you give to your students. Thankyou Marcus.
Marcus
Reply:
November 18th, 2010 at 12:31 am
That’s Elena. She did speak faster than Yamil on this lesson for sure.
I did have another listen and I think the interaction and contrast is pretty good.
Remember, I made this audio with graduates of Synergy Spanish in mind, so
they would be able to handle the speed.
I’ll make the transcript available shortly, so you can check anything you aren’t sure about.
really useful … and fun
thanks
Thanks again Marcus! I love that you innovate rather than copy. At my little place over here in the UK, we also innovate. I can really apprediate what you are doing with language learning.
By the way, should I use the present indicative there or the pluperfect subjunctive? (Just kidding!)
Marcus,
I backpacked through South America for 11 months, starting at the southern tip of Argentina, travelling through Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and ending up in Buenos Aires for my trip home.
On my travels, I purchased enough books on Spanish to sink the Titanic. I picked up the language fairly well as fortunately I had to learn latin at school for one year but had a problem with conjugation, so therefore spoke in verbs.
The biggest problem that I had in trying to learn from a book and from private lessons, is that I had to study English again before I could try and understand Spanish. …..See below:
A reflexive pronoun is a pronoun that is preceded by the noun or pronoun to which it refers (its antecedent) within the same clause. In generative grammar, a reflexive pronoun is an anaphor that must be bound by its antecedent (see binding). In some languages, there is a difference between reflexive and non-reflexive pronouns; but the exact conditions that determine whether something is bound are not yet well defined and depend on the language in question. HUH!!!!!!!
I was 46 years old at the time of my trip. Whilst being fit and having a fair command of the English language, I was not in the mood to waste time relearning things that I forgot about, the day after I left school.
I purchased one of your courses and have thoroughly enjoyed your updates. It has helped me tremendously and I always look forward to practicing what I have learnt via e-mail with my Latin American friends.
Hopefully one day I will have my olive farm in Argentina and when I finally get there I know without doubt, that my Spanish will be be far superior as to when I left the country.
Keep sending me the good stuff.
James ( South Africa )
Marcus
Reply:
November 18th, 2010 at 12:34 am
46 a very good age in my opinion, that’s my next one. Good luck with your awesome goal of the olive farm. Be sure to send me a bottle when it comes true.
a very useful tip. thanks
This is very helpfull..thanks marcuss…
Thanks Marcus,
I’ve lived in Spain for five years and after course after course, verbs after verbs, I am now only speaking with more confidence thanks to you. You make sense of the language and take away the mystery and that ‘oh I’ll never get it!” feeling. I am ready now for Hard Spanish Made Easy after only few months of your courses … and that’s dipping in and out of it thanks to the demands of children/work. I worry less about getting it right (after all we barely get it ‘right’ in English) and I speak more. Muchas Gracias!
Marcus,I have lived in Tenerife for over 20 years,my head is full of spanish but it gets lost somewhere between my brain and my mouth when I try to speak,your lessons are un scrambling all my past lessons and making sense at last ,you are pointing me in the right direction,Thank you and please keep sending the great updates.I still have trouble with talking about past events,ie “did you see the match yesterday?”or”Iwas sick”ect.Thaks once again for everything.Des
First time I have heard one of your audios. Very good and I like hearing both a male and a female voice repeating things often and in slightly different ways.
I am living in Panama and struggling with the language. I loved this lesson and would love to get more. Thanks so much.
Thanks Marcus, I live in Spain but still cannot understand what they say. Maybe these little words will help, more please. Geoff
Thank you very much again , Marcus .Here is a poem in return about a country at war :
“Cancion de los pronombres reflexivos” (if there are mistakes please correct ..+)
Me despierto una manana
no recuerdo los suenos aqui
me levanto luego me ducho
siento el miedo sin fin -
somos padres de los ninos,
que vivieron en una patria ……. en guerra ! / many regards , PE
Finally someone has explained “se” in a way that makes sense! I think I get it now.
Also, I found the male voice in Spanish especially helpful because as well as Seniora Santamaria pronounces it, she sometimes is a might too fast for my sluggish English ears, and the availability of two versions, one slower, is VERY helpful.
Marcus
Reply:
November 18th, 2010 at 12:44 am
Point taken. I’ll make sure it’s not quite so fast on the next lesson we make.
Hola Marcus,
I have been woking at my Spanish for a long time and one of the most confusing aspects has always been the reflexive nouns. This short lesson was a breakthrough for me to begin to get a much better handle on this thorn in my side. Thank you for the lesson, more of the same type would be apppeciated. Great opportunity to learn.
Muchas gracias por la oportunidad.
Jack
I just listened to the lesson again, and please correct me if I’m wrong BUT the male pronuciation of words such as: invitarme and irme sounded very much like invitarmi and irmi
Marcus
Reply:
November 18th, 2010 at 12:46 am
You’re close. The sound is more like meh than mi.
Nice job, Marcus. You have a real knack for making learning Spanish easy, enjoyable and effective. I hope you do more of these types of lessons.
Loved the lesson! And I love all the practice. Makes speaking feel more automatic and is a boost to my confidence. By all means, please keep the lessons coming. Direct, indirect and reflective pronouns are incredibly difficult for me — particularly when the pronoun is not attached to the end of the verb but rather in front.
Thanks so much.
Kim
Enjoyed part one, looking forward to part 2
Thank you Marcus, for the email lessons. I like that you pause and repeat the each phrase in Spanish and English. I am a beginner that know some Spanish words but understanding the conversations has been little diffcult for me. My wife is Colombian and we mix Spanish and English in our conversations.
Sheldon
Just great – I have been attempting to learn the language for years. Know the words but could never string them together well enough to get along well. Your methods have clarified many of the details I was unable to work out for myself. I, as others, are awaiting anxiously for the next audio leson. Muchas gracias.
Marcus.
Nice, very helpful and well presented…as was your synergy spanish course.
Si, si, si. I absolutely loved this audio. To be honest I understand the reflexive veb much better and it only took approximately 3-5 minutes. Amazing. Again, thank you.
I really enjoyed this new lesson, which was a great help. Very well presented, as always.
I enjoyed so much your demo on reflexive verbs. I learned alot in that short demo. Your explanations are so clear and understandable. Thank you so much. I would like to receive more of these.
very useful! thank you!
Hola, I love your lesson but have difficulty hearing the end of words, being a little deaf. Do you have a script for these lesson, so I can see what is being said. Thank you. Ita B.
Marcus
Reply:
November 18th, 2010 at 12:47 am
I’ll have one ready in a day or so.
Marcus, as always, loved the lesson and just confirmed how much I learn with you. You make learning Spanish so much easier and very enjoyable. Muchos gracias!
hi marcus
i am trying to download this audio lesson but i do not always have an internet connection. Is this on cds as well? if so how much is it?
Marcus
Reply:
November 18th, 2010 at 6:03 pm
Sorry, this one is only available as a download.
Thanks for the lesson Marcus. I was able to listen to the audio on my computer. But how do I get it into a form where I can burn a CD? It didn’t seem to arrive in the same form as the Bola lessons. Once again my techno-ignorance defeats me.
Dianne
Marcus
Reply:
November 18th, 2010 at 12:49 am
We did have some trouble with the server. That may have caused the problem. It’s all now fixed and should download better. I would try downloading again.
excellent–as usual
Awesome as usual Marcus. Me encanta el modo de instruccion que ayudarnos para hablar espanol. Muchisimas gracias!
This was a great lesson. I would really love to see more of such lessons. You make learning Spanish so easy in comparison to my college courses.
Thank you, thank you – trying to keep up lessons even though I’m back living in England now. Really value these free bits of instruction from the top ‘informal/formal’ Spanish teacher on the planet, as a follow-up to the Synergy Spanish which helped me so much when I was living in Spain..
Thanx , gracias , merci and shokran in arabic , good and nice way to learn.
Yes, I liked this audio very much and would like to receive more. Gwyneth
Loved the lesson on the use of reflexive verbs. Look forward to your next audio.
Many thanks
Pauline
This is something I need to learn more about! Thanks
This is something I need to learn more about! Gracias!
Marcus,
This 10 minute demo has really been amazing in helping to clarify how that “pesky” little word, ‘se’, is used.
Your Synergy Spanish course was absolutely terrific, Gracias mucho!
Me encanta recieving these short lessons and I will surely be taking more of your Spanish course offerings soon.
Por Favor! keep doing what you are doing.
Hi Marcus thaks for the Spanish Lesson
Hi Marcus
Your Synergy Spanish and Bola de Nieve courses have been invaluable to me and my husband.
This explanation of reflexive verbs is great many thanks, please keep them coming!
The audio portion is great, however I find the on-screen visuals very distracting. I would much prefer seeing the written word(s) accompaning the spoken word(s).
Hi Marcus, thanks for this spanish lesson it is very interesting
Dear
thanks alot
from your best spanish lesson since i have started here i faced in distinct lesson
i like your lesson
arif from afghanistan
I found this lesson useful as I always have a problem with reflexive verbs. Are there more lessons like this? I already know the basic structures in Spanish so I felt your synergy Spanish course would be too easy but I think more lessons in this series – difficult Spanish made easy – would be of greater interest. Let me know if you have more to subscribe to, please? Thank you!
Hi Marcus!
your lessons are very interesting.
thank you so much.
Hello Marcus;
We have made the move to Mexico, nearly two years now, but am still struggling. This one has helped a lot. Please keep them coming.
muchas Gracias Jimmie
Hola,
I have now lived in Costa Rica for two years. Currently I’m working my way through the Bola de Nieve course. I think I’m doing fine and then I go on the street….so much to yet learn! This course will be somewhere in my future. Having tried several other courses, for me, yours are the ONLY ones that work.
Gracias, Ron Bogan
This is amazing and just what I have been waiting for since finishing the Syngery series.
You are an incredible teacher. Gracias por las lecciones.
Hola Marcus,
Que bueno profesor y de nuevo muchas gracias!!
No hay un dude lo que estás un hombre fantástico!
Not only are you THE BEST teacher of REAL and RELEVANT Spanish but you really are a very generous man.
Sincerely, thanks once again!
Buenos suerte con todo,
(Mooloolaba, Qld, Australia)
I hope you realize Marcus, by doing what you’re doin here on this website, that you’re helping me better myself in a way that b4 seemd improbable, ‘out of reach’, &yet necessary in my life! Your class is sooo important in this quickly changing universe. One man always makes a difference, as you already have, inspiring me to do the same in my clinicas. I believe God”s not only smiling with your work, but quietly aiding & abetting by the powers that be in your life.
Hi Marcus, I find this Audio lesson very interesting ,also with the male and female speaking slowly that has help me a lot, thanks again.
Hola Marcus,
I have enjoyed the synergy spanish program that I purchased from you.
I like the fact that it’s interactive, that is hearing the word’s and being able to practice
saying the word;s in a sentence, I have had people ask me if I had went to school
to learn Spanish. And my boss thinks it’s quite handy that I can tell my coworkers
what it is he wants them to know. One of my coworkers never had the opurtunity
to go to school when she was young, but she is the hardest worker and the sweetest
lady that I have ever met. And it is a pleasure to be able to speak with her in Spanish.
I am very excited that you have added more spanish to take us farther in our studies.
Thanks again Terri!!!
Thank you so much Sr Marcus. currently i am attending spanish class here in Spain. but what i got in two months of schooling is only confusion… if before i can speak at least some easy spanish words but now im so confused that stop me to speak anything.. your way of teaching is tremendous. thank you so much it helps a lot to those like me whose eager to learn spanish. your a great help.
muchias gracias,
beth
Thought this great – my problem is with ser and estar – will you be doing anything with this in future Thank you so very much. Enid ps I am an oldie 78
Marcus
Reply:
August 25th, 2011 at 6:38 pm
Hola
Yes, I have a series of lesson planned to help with that..
Saludos
Marcus
I’M NOT REALLY CONCERNED WHETHER OR NOT MY EMAIL WILL BE PUBLISHED, I WOULD LIKE A RESPONSE TO MY QUESTION .
JORGE.
I THINK THIS IS GREAT. I DON’T GIVE MY CREDIT CARD ON LINE BUT I WILL FIND A WAY TO BUY THIS , THANK YOU
HI Marcus This is really good stuff and you speak so clearly love it all
Hasta nos vemos Mike
Aunqu sabia bien como usar el ‘se’ en sus varias formas, me gusto la explicacion que presentaste sobre como traducir el ‘se’ de, por ejemplo ‘levantarse’ porque doy clases de ingles y creo que les ayudara mucho a mis alumnos darles esta explicacion para cuando quieran traducir verbos reflejivos! En fin gracias y que tegas un muy bun dia.
[...] Hard Spanish Made Easy [...]
Interesting, “Arse” to much of the English speaking world is what you USA folks call “Ass” and to us down south (Chile) is “Poto” !
Enjoy your e-mails and freebees and have recommended your course to many Gringos in need down here.
Muchisimas gracias por todo
Richard
Hola Marcus. Thank you for this one, it is a great help and would love more, Espero tener que mas de tu.
Sandy Muchas gracias.