Personal Information
Información Personal
After this lesson, you'll be able to:
- ✓Ask and answer "How are you?"
- ✓Tell someone your age
- ✓Say where you're from (country and nationality)
- ✓Tell someone your profession
- ✓Say where you live
- ✓Use un/una (a/an) with nouns
Grammar Focus
Essential grammar for this lesson with examples.
Recap: What You Learned in Week 1
Last week you learned to introduce yourself with ser ("Soy Ana", "Soy de México"), use greetings like hola and buenas tardes, and count to 20. You also met the articles el and la (the). This week, you'll meet a second "to be" verb - estar - and start talking about yourself in more detail.
Examples:
Asking "How are you?" - ¿Cómo estás?
To ask how someone is feeling, we use the verb "estar" (to be). Last week you learned "ser" - which also means "to be"! Yes, Spanish has two verbs for "to be".
For now, just remember: use "estar" for feelings and how you are right now. We'll fully explain the difference between ser and estar in Week 5. You'll also hear "¿Qué tal?" which is a casual way to say "How's it going?" - it doesn't use estar but means the same thing.
Examples:
Expressing Feelings with "estar"
To describe how you're feeling, use "estar" + an adjective. The adjective changes based on whether you're male or female. This is called "gender agreement" - we'll cover it fully in Week 4.
Examples:
Saying Your Age with "tener"
In Spanish, you don't "be" an age - you "have" years! This is one of the most important differences between Spanish and English. Use "tener" (to have) + number + "años" (years).
Examples:
Where Are You From? - Ser + de
To say where you're from, use "ser" + "de" + place. You can also use "ser" + nationality (without "de"). Both are correct and commonly used.
Examples:
Saying Your Profession with "ser"
To say what your job is, use "ser" + profession - just like with nationalities. No article (a/an) is needed! In Spanish, you don't say "I am a teacher", just "I am teacher" (Soy profesor).
Examples:
Indefinite Articles - un, una (a/an)
Last week you learned "el/la" (the). Now let's learn "un/una" (a/an). Just like "el/la", these must match the gender of the noun. Use "un" for masculine nouns, "una" for feminine nouns.
Examples:
Where Do You Live? - vivir
To say where you live, use the verb "vivir" (to live). Like with "ser" for origin, you use "vivir en" + place.
Examples:
Numbers 21-100
Good news! Spanish numbers follow clear patterns. From 21-29, numbers are written as one word (veintiuno, veintidós...). From 31 onwards, they're written as three words (treinta y uno, treinta y dos...).
Examples:
Conversation Example
Ana and Pablo meet at a social event and introduce themselves.
🌍 Age and Personal Questions
In many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking about age, family, and personal life is common and not considered rude - it's a way of showing interest and building relationships. Don't be surprised if new acquaintances ask your age! However, like anywhere, context matters. In professional settings, people tend to be more reserved with personal questions.