Choosing a Review Method | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. Quiero repasar la lección de hoy.

   I want to review today's lesson.

   Quiero

   I want

   repasar

   to review

   lección

   lesson

   de hoy

   today’s

   More detail

   Quiero is the first-person singular present form of querer (“to want”): quiero = “I want.” Spanish commonly uses querer + an infinitive to express what the speaker wants to do, as in Quiero aprender (“I want to learn”). repasar is an infinitive meaning “to review” or “to go over again.” After Quiero, the infinitive names the action the speaker wants to carry out; its form does not show a separate subject because the subject is understood from Quiero. lección is a feminine noun meaning “lesson.” The feminine singular article la agrees with it: la lección. The plural is las lecciones, as in las lecciones de esta semana (“this week’s lessons”). de hoy means “of today” and naturally gives the possessive-style meaning “today’s.” hoy means “today” and is an adverb, so it does not change for gender or number. The pattern el/la + noun + de + time expression can identify something associated with a particular time, for example la reunión de mañana (“tomorrow’s meeting”). Together, Quiero + repasar expresses “I want to review,” and la lección de hoy identifies what the speaker wants to review. The whole utterance means: “I want to review today’s lesson.”

2. Pero no estoy seguro de por dónde empezar.

   But I am not sure where to start.

   Pero

   But

   no estoy seguro

   I am not sure

   por dónde

   where; which way

   empezar

   to start

   More detail

   Pero introduces a contrast: “but.” In the supplied context, it contrasts wanting to review the lesson with being uncertain about the starting point. Example: Quiero ir, pero estoy cansado. — “I want to go, but I am tired.” no estoy seguro means “I am not sure.” Estoy is the first-person singular present form of estar, and no negates it. Seguro is the adjective seguro, “sure/certain.” In this sentence, its masculine singular form agrees with the first-person speaker as represented in the utterance. The reusable patterns are estar seguro de que... (“to be sure that...”) and estar seguro de + noun or infinitive (“to be sure of...” ). With no, the pattern expresses uncertainty. Example: No estoy seguro de que sea correcto. — “I am not sure that it is correct.” por dónde asks about a route or point of passage: “where” or “which way.” Dónde carries an accent because it is the interrogative word in this indirect question. Por contributes the route or path perspective. Example: No sé por dónde entrar. — “I do not know which way to enter.” empezar is the infinitive meaning “to start” or “to begin.” Here it names the action whose starting point is uncertain. A reusable pattern is por dónde + infinitive: por dónde continuar — “where to continue.” Together, no estoy seguro de por dónde empezar means “I am not sure where to start.” The complete utterance, Pero no estoy seguro de por dónde empezar., means “But I am not sure where to start.”

3. Empieza con los apuntes que se relacionan directamente con situaciones reales.

   Start with the notes that connect directly to real situations.

   Empieza

   start; begin

   con

   with

   apuntes

   notes

   se relacionan

   connect; are related

   directamente

   directly

   situaciones

   situations

   reales

   real

   More detail

   Empieza is the affirmative command form of empezar for tú singular: “start” or “begin.” The subject is understood as the person being addressed. Compare empiece for usted and empiecen for ustedes; those are different command forms. Example: Empieza ahora. — “Start now.” con is the preposition “with.” In this sentence, empezar con is the reusable pattern “to start with,” introducing the thing chosen as the starting point. Example: Empiezo con este capítulo. — “I start with this chapter.” apuntes means “notes,” here referring to notes as the material to begin with. Its singular is apunte; apuntes is plural. Example: Mis apuntes están aquí. — “My notes are here.” se relacionan comes from relacionarse, “to be related” or “to connect.” The form is present tense, third-person plural, agreeing with the plural subject los apuntes. With con, relacionarse con means “to be related to” or “to connect with.” Example: Estas ideas se relacionan con el tema. — “These ideas are related to the topic.” directamente is the adverb “directly.” It modifies the relation expressed by se relacionan, making the connection direct rather than indirect. It is formed from the adjective directo plus -mente; as an adverb, it does not change for number or gender. Example: El ejemplo se relaciona directamente con la regla. — “The example is directly related to the rule.” situaciones means “situations.” Its singular is situación; the plural ending marks more than one situation. Here it is the object of the preposition con in relacionarse con situaciones reales. reales means “real” or “actual” and describes situaciones. It is the plural form of real; this adjective has the same form for masculine and feminine, while number changes: real singular, reales plural. Example: Son situaciones reales. — “They are real situations.” Together, Empieza con means “Start with,” los apuntes identifies the material to use first, and que se relacionan directamente con situaciones reales specifies which notes: those directly related to real situations. The complete utterance means, “Start with the notes that connect directly to real situations.”

4. Normalmente vuelvo a leer todo, pero eso lleva demasiado tiempo.

   I usually reread everything, but that takes too much time.

   Normalmente

   usually

   vuelvo a leer

   read again; reread

   todo

   everything

   pero

   but

   eso

   that

   lleva

   takes

   demasiado

   too much

   tiempo

   time

   More detail

   Normalmente means “usually” here and presents a repeated habit rather than a single event. It commonly comes before the verb, as in Normalmente trabajo desde casa (“I usually work from home”). vuelvo a leer uses volver a + infinitive for doing something again. vuelvo is the first-person singular present form of volver; leer remains an infinitive. The pattern is reusable: Vuelvo a llamar means “I call again.” This is different from simply leo, “I read,” which does not itself express repetition. todo means “everything” here. It is the masculine singular form of todo used pronominally, without a following noun, to refer to the complete material being reread. It is not the neuter demonstrative form; Spanish neuter demonstratives include eso and esto. With named plural nouns, use forms such as todos or todas, according to the noun. pero introduces a contrast and means “but.” It connects the usual rereading habit with its consequence; it does not replace the first idea with an alternative. eso is a neuter demonstrative pronoun meaning “that.” Here, in line with the fixed translation, it points back to the situation of rereading everything rather than to a particular named noun. Spanish neuter eso is useful for referring to an idea, event, or situation. lleva is the third-person singular present form of llevar, whose base form is llevar. In this use, llevar expresses the time something requires or takes; the subject is eso, so the verb is singular. For example, La tarea lleva una hora means “The task takes an hour.” The same verb can have other meanings, such as “carry,” but that is not its meaning here. demasiado modifies tiempo and means “too much.” In this noun phrase it agrees with masculine singular tiempo: demasiado tiempo. With a feminine singular noun, the form is demasiada, as in demasiada paciencia (“too much patience”); with plurals, demasiados or demasiadas can mean “too many.” tiempo is the noun “time.” In demasiado tiempo, it is the amount of time being required. The phrase llevar tiempo is a common way to say that an activity takes time. Together, Normalmente vuelvo a leer todo means “I usually reread everything.” pero eso lleva demasiado tiempo adds the contrast: “but that takes too much time.” The complete utterance says that the speaker usually rereads all the material, and considers the time required excessive.

5. Elige las partes que puedas usar en una conversación corta.

   Choose the parts you can use in a short conversation.

   Elige

   choose

   partes

   parts

   puedas usar

   you can use

   conversación

   conversation

   corta

   short

   More detail

   Elige means “choose” here. It is the affirmative command form of elegir for tú, addressing one person informally. The present indicative form is eliges, while the affirmative command is elige. Example: Elige una opción. — “Choose an option.” partes is the plural of parte, meaning “parts” or “sections.” The plural article las agrees with it: las partes. puedas usar expresses “you can use.” Puedas is the second-person singular present subjunctive of poder, followed by the infinitive usar. In que puedas usar, the subjunctive presents the parts as ones that can be used by the addressee within the selection described by the sentence. Spanish can also use the indicative que puedes usar when the ability or suitability is presented more directly as a fact; the subjunctive is not required merely because the clause identifies the parts. Example: Busca algo que puedas usar. — “Look for something you can use.” conversación means “conversation.” It is a feminine noun, so the phrase is una conversación; here it is the noun modified by corta. Example: Tenemos una conversación breve. — “We have a brief conversation.” corta means “short” and modifies conversación. It is the feminine singular form of the adjective corto, agreeing with the feminine singular noun conversación. The masculine form is corto, as in un diálogo corto — “a short dialogue.” Together, Elige las partes gives “Choose the parts.” The relative clause que puedas usar identifies those parts as ones the addressee can use, and en una conversación corta specifies use in a short conversation. The complete meaning is: “Choose the parts you can use in a short conversation.”

6. Podríamos escribir frases de ejemplo antes de practicar la conversación.

   We could write example sentences before we practice speaking.

   Podríamos

   we could

   escribir

   to write

   frases

   sentences; phrases

   ejemplo

   example

   antes de

   before

   practicar

   to practice

   conversación

   conversation

   More detail

   Podríamos comes from poder (“to be able to”) and is the first-person plural conditional: “we could.” The conditional presents this as a possible or proposed action, not a definite future action. Compare podemos (“we can”) for present ability or possibility. Example: Podríamos practicar hoy. — “We could practice today.” escribir is the infinitive “to write.” After a conjugated form such as podríamos, Spanish uses the infinitive: podríamos escribir means “we could write.” The subject of escribir is understood from podríamos as “we.” frases is the plural of frase, meaning “sentences” or “phrases.” Here it refers to the sentences being written. The plural ending -s shows that there is more than one sentence. Example: Escribimos tres frases. — “We write three sentences.” ejemplo is the singular noun “example.” In frases de ejemplo, the prepositional phrase de ejemplo specifies the type or purpose of the sentences: they are example sentences. The noun remains singular because it functions as the modifier in this expression; frases is the noun that is plural. antes de means “before” and introduces what happens earlier. When another verb follows it, that verb is normally an infinitive: antes de practicar — “before practicing.” It does not exclude practicing; it places the writing earlier than the practicing. practicar is the infinitive “to practice.” In this sentence it follows antes de, so antes de practicar means “before we practice” in the fixed translation, with the person understood from the surrounding meaning. Example: Antes de practicar, escuchamos. — “Before practicing, we listen.” conversación is the feminine singular noun “conversation.” With the definite article la, la conversación means “the conversation.” In the fixed utterance, it is the activity being practiced; the translation expresses this naturally as “practicing speaking.” Together, Podríamos escribir frases de ejemplo means “We could write example sentences.” antes de practicar la conversación places that possible writing before the conversation practice. The complete utterance therefore means: “We could write example sentences before we practice speaking.”

7. Decir las frases de ejemplo en voz alta mostrará si puedes usar las expresiones en una conversación.

   Saying the example sentences aloud will show whether you can use the phrases in conversation.

   Decir

   to say

   frases

   sentences; phrases

   ejemplo

   example

   en voz alta

   aloud

   mostrará

   will show

   puedes

   you can

   usar

   to use

   expresiones

   expressions

   conversación

   conversation

   More detail

   Decir is the infinitive “to say.” Here it acts as the subject of the sentence: Decir las frases... means “Saying the sentences...”. Spanish infinitives can function as noun-like subjects. Example: Leer ayuda. — “Reading helps.” frases is the plural of frase, a sentence or phrase. The plural ending -s shows that there is more than one. ejemplo is singular and modifies it: frases de ejemplo means “example sentences,” with de linking the noun to its purpose or type. The phrase de ejemplo does not mean that ejemplo is one of the sentences. en voz alta is the reusable expression “aloud,” literally referring to using a high/audible voice. Example: Lee la oración en voz alta. — “Read the sentence aloud.” mostrará is the simple future of mostrar (“to show”): mostraré, mostrarás, mostrará, and so on. The -á form is third-person singular. Its subject here is the whole preceding infinitive phrase, Decir las frases de ejemplo en voz alta, so the meaning is “saying ... will show,” not “you will show.” Example: La práctica mostrará el resultado. — “Practice will show the result.” puedes is the second-person singular present form of poder, “can” or “be able to.” poder is followed by an infinitive: puedes usar means “you can use.” The form puedes identifies a singular “you” in the familiar or neutral second-person pattern; it does not itself identify the listener by name. usar is the infinitive “to use.” After puedes, it supplies the action that is possible: puedes usar... — “you can use...”. Example: Puedes usar esta palabra. — “You can use this word.” expresiones is the plural of expresión, “expression” or “phrase.” In this sentence it is the direct object of usar: the things that can be used are the expressions. Example: Uso expresiones sencillas. — “I use simple expressions.” conversación is the singular noun “conversation.” In en una conversación, the preposition en gives the setting or context: “in a conversation.” The indefinite article una marks a feminine singular noun, but it does not by itself assert a numerical count as a teaching point here. Together, Decir las frases de ejemplo en voz alta is the subject “saying the example sentences aloud.” mostrará says that this action will show something, and si puedes usar las expresiones en una conversación says what it will show: whether you can use the expressions in a conversation. The complete meaning is: “Saying the example sentences aloud will show whether you can use the phrases in conversation.”

8. Eso parece más útil que volver a copiar toda la página.

   That sounds more useful than copying the whole page again.

   Eso

   That

   parece

   seems; sounds

   más útil

   more useful

   volver a copiar

   copy again

   página

   page

   More detail

   Eso is the neuter demonstrative pronoun “that.” Here it points to the idea or action under discussion, rather than naming a specific masculine or feminine noun. Unlike este/esta or estos/estas, eso does not show noun gender or plural number. parece comes from parecer, “to seem” or “to appear.” It is the present-tense third-person singular form, agreeing with eso: eso parece. With an adjective, parecer describes an assessment: La idea parece útil = “The idea seems useful.” In this sentence, the fixed translation supports the natural rendering “sounds more useful.” más útil is the comparative “more useful.” The adjective is útil; más marks the higher degree. The regular comparison pattern is más + adjective + que: Este método es más útil que el otro = “This method is more useful than the other one.” Útil has the same singular form with masculine and feminine nouns; its plural is útiles. volver a copiar uses volver a + infinitive to express doing something again. Volver is in the infinitive here, and copiar is the repeated action; the phrase does not mean that the speaker is returning to a place. For example, Tengo que volver a leerlo means “I have to read it again.” página means “page.” It is a feminine noun, as shown by la página and by toda la página in the sentence. Toda means “the whole/entire” here and agrees with singular feminine página; it is not part of the selected página phrase. For example, Leí toda la página means “I read the whole page.” The sentence assembles as Eso parece (“That seems/sounds”), más útil que (“more useful than”), and volver a copiar toda la página (“copying the whole page again”). Together: “That sounds more useful than copying the whole page again.”

9. También muestra qué puntos están claros y cuáles necesitan más práctica.

   It also shows which points are clear and which ones need more practice.

   También

   also

   muestra

   shows

   qué

   which; what

   puntos

   points

   están

   are

   claros

   clear

   cuáles

   which ones

   necesitan

   need

   más

   more

   práctica

   practice

   More detail

   También adds this statement to something already mentioned: “also” or “too.” It normally comes before the verb here. Example: También leo por la noche. — “I also read at night.” muestra is the present-tense third-person singular form of mostrar, “to show.” The subject here is an understood singular entity, and muestra means “shows,” not “I show” or “they show.” Example: La tabla muestra los resultados. — “The table shows the results.” qué puntos introduces the first part of an indirect question: it asks which points have the stated property. Qué is written with an accent in this interrogative use. Unlike the standalone selection word cuáles, qué directly accompanies the noun puntos here. Example: No sé qué libro quieres. — “I don’t know which book you want.” puntos is the plural of punto, “point.” In this sentence it means points or items under discussion, not necessarily physical dots. Example: Repasamos tres puntos. — “We review three points.” están is the third-person plural present form of estar, “to be.” It agrees with the plural subject puntos. Here estar is used with claros for a current state or condition. Example: Los objetivos están claros. — “The objectives are clear.” claros is the masculine plural form of the adjective claro, “clear.” Its plural and masculine form agrees with puntos; the adjective itself carries this agreement, not the noun’s base form. With a feminine plural noun, the form would be claras: Las instrucciones están claras. — “The instructions are clear.” cuáles means “which ones” and selects items from an understood set. It is plural here, matching the plural items being selected, and it does not repeat puntos as a noun. Example: ¿Cuáles prefieres? — “Which ones do you prefer?” necesitan is the third-person plural present form of necesitar, “to need.” The understood subject is the plural set referred to by cuáles, so the verb is plural. Example: Estos ejercicios necesitan más tiempo. — “These exercises need more time.” más means “more.” It indicates a greater amount or degree of what follows; it is not itself the noun meaning “practice.” Example: Necesito más tiempo. — “I need more time.” práctica is a feminine noun meaning “practice” in the sense of repeated training. In más práctica, it names the additional training needed. Example: La práctica ayuda mucho. — “Practice helps a lot.” Together, También muestra means “It also shows.” The indirect question then has two coordinated parts: qué puntos están claros — “which points are clear” — and cuáles necesitan más práctica — “which ones need more practice.” The whole utterance is therefore: “It also shows which points are clear and which ones need more practice.”

10. Elijamos algunas expresiones útiles cada uno y probémoslas después de clase.

    Let's each choose a few useful phrases and test them after class.

    Elijamos

    let’s choose

    expresiones

    phrases

    útiles

    useful

    cada uno

    each one

    probémoslas

    let’s test them

    después de

    after

    clase

    class

    More detail

    Elijamos is the first-person plural present subjunctive of elegir (“to choose”). In this sentence it is an affirmative exhortation: “let’s choose,” including the speaker and at least one other person. The stem changes from eleg- to elij- in forms such as elijo and elijamos; this is not a vowel change. Example: Elijamos una opción. — “Let’s choose an option.” expresiones is the feminine plural noun “phrases” or “expressions.” Its singular is expresión; the plural ending is -es. Example: Estas expresiones son comunes. — “These expressions are common.” útiles means “useful” here and describes expresiones. Its base form is útil; útiles is the plural form. The adjective has the same form for masculine and feminine nouns, but singular and plural differ: un consejo útil, unas expresiones útiles. cada uno is a distributive expression meaning “each one” or “each person separately.” Here it distributes the choosing among the participants, matching the translation “let’s each choose.” Cada uno elige una opción. — “Each person chooses an option.” probémoslas combines the first-person plural exhortation form of probar (“to try” or “test”) with the direct-object pronoun las. The pronoun refers to the feminine plural expresiones, so las is used. The written accent preserves the stress when the pronoun is attached. Example: Probémoslas ahora. — “Let’s try them now.” después de is a temporal prepositional construction meaning “after.” It introduces the event that comes before the action being timed: después de la reunión means “after the meeting.” clase is the feminine singular noun “class.” In después de clase, the noun appears without an article in a common time expression meaning “after class.” Its plural is clases. Together, Elijamos algunas expresiones útiles cada uno means “Let’s each choose a few useful phrases.” Algunas marks an unspecified plural quantity, while cada uno distributes the choosing across the participants. Y probémoslas después de clase adds “and let’s test them after class”; las points back to the chosen feminine plural phrases. The complete utterance is therefore: “Let’s each choose a few useful phrases and test them after class.”

11. Una rutina corta será más fácil de repetir que un plan de repaso largo.

    A short routine will be easier to repeat than a long review plan.

    rutina

    routine

    corta

    short

    será

    will be

    más fácil

    easier

    repetir

    to repeat

    que

    than

    plan

    plan

    repaso

    review

    largo

    long

    More detail

    rutina means “routine,” a feminine singular noun here, as shown by una. The article marks the noun’s grammatical gender; it does not by itself assert a numerical count. Example: La rutina funciona. — “The routine works.” corta means “short” here and agrees with feminine singular rutina: corto is the masculine singular form, as in un ejercicio corto. The adjective describes limited length or duration; it is not the same as breve in every context, although both can often translate as “short.” será is the third-person singular future form of ser (“to be”), used with the singular subject una rutina corta. The future ending presents the comparison as applying later or as a prediction. Example: La tarea será sencilla. — “The task will be simple.” más fácil means “easier.” fácil is the base adjective, and más fácil forms the comparative with más (“more”). The adjective itself does not change to show masculine or feminine here: un método más fácil and una actividad más fácil. Example: Este ejercicio es más fácil. — “This exercise is easier.” repetir is the infinitive “to repeat.” In fácil de repetir, the infinitive names the action that is easy to carry out; the pattern ser + adjective + de + infinitive is reusable. Example: Es difícil de explicar. — “It is difficult to explain.” que introduces the second member of this comparison, meaning “than” here. The pattern más + adjective + que compares two things: más fácil que un examen means “easier than an exam.” plan means “plan,” a masculine singular noun. It is the noun modified by largo, not the noun modified by repaso; un and the masculine adjective form make that agreement visible. repaso means “review” in this context: un plan de repaso is “a review plan.” The preposition de links the plan with its purpose or content. Example: Necesito un plan de repaso. — “I need a review plan.” largo means “long” here and agrees with masculine singular plan. Its feminine singular counterpart is larga, as in una sesión larga; plural forms are largos and largas. Here it describes the plan’s length, not the duration of the reviewing action itself. Taken together, una rutina corta is the first item being evaluated. será más fácil de repetir says that this routine will be easier to repeat, and que un plan de repaso largo supplies the comparison: a long review plan. The complete meaning is: “A short routine will be easier to repeat than a long review plan.”