Students new to German will repeatedly encounter the verb werden. As it has three distinct functions, it often proves confusing. Here we will outline the three main functions with example sentences.

A. Idiomatic Expressions

Werden generally translates into English as turning, becoming or getting.

Er wird Arzt.

Es wurde kalt.

B. Future Tense

The present tense form of the verb werden can also be coupled with an infinitive (placed at the end of the sentence or clause) to express the future tense. Here werden translates as will.

Sie wird bald eine Mutter sein.

Wirst du hier schlafen?

C. Passive Voice

The passive voice is used to emphasize the action over the agent. It is used a lot in the press and to describe historical events and natural disasters. Here, werden is accompanied by the past participle (placed at the end of the sentence or clause). To express by, von is generally used, but durch may be used to express unforeseen events or natural occurrences.

Das Haus wird von ihm gebaut.

Es wird durch den Wind zerstört.

Beginning in January of this year, I began selling my self designed curriculum, readings and worksheets online through a wonderful forum called Teachers Pay Teachers.  I only discovered this website myself a couple of years ago and became an avid buyer. It was my New Year’s resolution for 2015 to sell my products on this website. It was a lot of work up front, but it is finally paying off. I have created an online community with teachers which has been a wonderful experience as being a solo teacher can sometimes be a lonely endeavour! Furthermore, there are a lot more Spanish teachers in the United States than there are in Canada. I am happy to report that I have received a lot of positive feedback on my products and my current and future students have also benefited from my online feedback as I continue to improve my course content. To access my online resources for teachers click here.

As a number of my clients are required to travel for work I have now regularly started offering lessons over Skype. While it may not be as ideal as face-to-face lessons, I have had a large degree of success with teaching people online and look forward to continuing to offer this option particularly for those people who live further out of the city or travel frequently.

Finally, just this month I have begun to create an online school for my courses! It is my intention to offer this for free to my existing clients for further practice at home where they may review lessons we covered in class together. This online platform will offer yet another avenue to pursue your language goals. I have just released my first course on German pronunciation and I look forward to continuing to work on my new online school in the coming months. For my new online school click here.

Pre-European Mexico

Mexico had a rich cultural history before the arrival of the Europeans. Notably they had many independent indigenous groups including the Aztec, Maya, Mixtec and Tolmec among others. These civilizations flourished at various times and in various regions of this large country over a period of 10,000 years.

Conquest

In 1519 Hernán Cortes of Spain led a group of 500 men and horses into the vast city of Tenochtitlan, now known as Mexico City. It was one of the largest cities of the time and the capital of the vast Aztec Empire led by its ruler Moctezuma. How Cortes and his men were able to capture such a huge empire with such a small number of people is due in large part to luck. The Aztecs believed the Spaniards to be Gods due to their appearance. They wore strange clothes, created fire with muskets and were presumed to be part animal part human. (The Aztecs had never seen horses before). Secondly, the conquerors brought with them a secret weapon: smallpox. Largely immune themselves, this disease ravaged the local population killing millions within the first years of contact. Many Aztecs believed they were being punished and turned to the Christian God as a savior. Although it took many more decades to completely conquer the vast territory of Mexico, the fall of the Aztec Empire in 1521 is seen as the official beginning of Spanish rule over Mexico. The Spanish spent another 130 years consolidating their empire. The colonial period lasted from around 1650 until Mexican independence in 1821.

Legacy

The majority of Mexicans today are considered mestizo,  a word which refers to the mixture of Spanish and indigenous blood. The Catholic faith continues to be the dominant faith within Mexico although it is different from Catholicism found in Europe. Mexicans have included numerous indigenous elements into their faith to reconcile the two. Nowadays, the term Montezuma’s revenge is used jokingly to refer to unpleasant symptoms of stomach discomfort or vomiting experienced by some tourists visiting Mexico!

There are few things in the Spanish language more difficult for English speakers to get a grasp on than the subjunctive. One common fallacy is that students believe the subjunctive is a tense when in fact it is a mood. There are two moods in the Spanish-language: the indicative and subjunctive. The indicative mood is used to describe all that is concrete and habitual whereas the subjunctive describes that which is in any way hypothetical.

To learn to use the subjunctive one must look at the various situations in which it is used. In this blog we will focus on the uses of the subjunctive with verbs of influence, uncertainty, emotion and doubt.

In the sentence, “I hope that my brother prepares sushi,”  we find all the elements necessary to elicit the use of the subjunctive in the secondary clause:

1) one subject in the main clause (I) which is different than that of the secondary clause (my brother)

2) the use of the conjunction ‘que’

3) the use of a verb of influence (hope)

In simpler terms, just because I hope that something happens does not necessarily mean it will and this is reflected in Spanish by the use of the subjunctive mood in the secondary clause.

I hope that my brother prepares sushi.

Yo espero que mi hermano prepare sushi.

Other common verbs of influence:

desear – to desire

querer (e-ie) – to want

preferir (e-ie)  – to prefer

pedir (e-i) – to ask

prohibir – to forbid

persuadir – to persuade

rogar (o-ue) – to beg

aconsejar – to advise

insistir – to insist

exigir – to demand

mandar – to order

recomendar (e-ie) – to recommend

sugerir (e-i) – to suggest

impedir (e-i) – to prevent

Verbs of uncertainty, doubt and emotion are also triggers of the subjunctive.

I doubt Maria is working today.

Yo dudo que María trabaje hoy.

negar (e-ie) – to deny

temer – to fear

alegrarse de – to be happy

The expressions below are followed by the indicative in the affirmative but subjunctive in the negative!

no creer – to not believe

no estar convencido/a de – to not be convinced of

no estar seguro/a de – to not be sure of

no imaginarse – to not believe/imagine

no parecer – to not seem

no pensar (e-ie) – to not think

no suponer – to not suppose

Apocopation is a linguistic term given to the practice of shortening specific words when they precede certain other words. This occurs in Spanish with nine fairly common words.

Most commonly, certain words drop the final letter ‘o’ when they come before a masculine, singular noun.

uno (“a/one”): un libro (a book)

alguno (“some”): algún dinero (some money)

ninguno (“no/not one”): ningún gato (no cat)

bueno (“good”): el buen doctor  (the good doctor)

malo (“bad”): un mal hombre (a bad man)

primero (“first”): primer encuentro (first encounter)

tercero (“third”): tercer piso (third floor)

Variations on the pattern:

Grande: The singular grande is shortened to gran before a noun-whether it be male or female:  In that position, it usually means “great”: un gran hombre (a great man). However, grande is not apocopated when following más: la más grande casa (the greatest house)

Ciento: The word for one/a hundred is shortened before a noun or when used as part of a number: cien libros (100 books) or cien dólares (100 dollars). However, ciento it is not shortened within a number: ciento veinte mil dólares ($120,000).

Cualquiera: When used as an adjective, cualquiera (“any” in the sense of “whatever”) drops the final ‘a’ before a noun-whether it be male or female: cualquier día (whatever day).

Santo: The title for a saint is shortened before the names of most males: San Francisco (Saint Francis). However, it is not shortened if the name it precedes begins with Do- or To- (Santo Domingo)

1. venir: to come

We are coming at 5 o’clock.

Venimos a las 5 de la tarde.

2. viajar: to travel

She is traveling to Europe for the first time.

Ella viaja a Europa por primera vez.

3. visitar: to visit

I am visiting my parents on Sunday.

Visito a mis padres el domingo.

4. vivir: to live

My brother lives in Bolivia.

Mi hermano vive en Bolivia.

5. volar: to fly (stem change verb o-ue)

Are you flying to Barcelona?

¿Vuelas a Barcelona?

6. volver: to return (stem change verb o-ue)

Is he returning soon?

¿Vuelve pronto?

6. ir: to go (Note: although the infinitive does not have a ‘v,’ the conjugations do)

They are going to the church and I am going to the library.

Ellos van a la iglesia y yo voy a la biblioteca.

The practice of holding a Christmas market or Weinachstmarkt in Germany, Austria and Switzerland among other countries dates back to the Middle Ages. Markets are held in accordance with Advent traditions, namely opening on the Sunday four weeks before Christmas. These markets are traditionally held in the main plaza of the city or town and spill out into adjacent streets. The size of the market depends on the size of the town. Some of the more famous markets are held in the cities of Nuremberg, Dresden, Berlin and Munich.

Christmas markets feature regional food and beverages. Numerous temporary stalls built out of wood sell local crafts, food products such as chocolates as well as handmade ornaments. For entertainment, there are musicians, dancers and other entertainers performing, often in local traditional clothing. For children, there may be some games and carousel rides.

The most popular beverage by far is mulled wine or Glühwein. This beverage is served hot to help you warm up on cold winter nights and is made of a combination of red wine, sugar and spices. For a recipe click here. To eat, there are numerous local vendors selling sausages, sauerkraut, German pretzels and of course Lebkuchen. Lebkuchen is a German variety of gingerbread often sold in large sizes of hearts or other shapes with icing of varying colors. See the featured image for this blog.

For the last three years, a Christmas market has been held in the Queen Elizabeth Plaza near the downtown Vancouver public library. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting every year and highly recommend it. For more information on market hours and to purchase tickets visit www.vancouverchristmasmarket.com

1. llegar: to arrive

We are arriving at 5 o’clock.

Llegamos a las cinco de la tarde.

2. llevar: to bring someone somewhere, to wear

I am bringing my father to the airport.

Llevo a mi padre al aeropuerto.

I am wearing my new hat today.

Llevo mi nuevo sombrero hoy.

Note: llevar can also be used in an idiomatic sense to express a length of time

How many years have you been in Canada?

¿Cuántos años llevas en Canadá?

3. llover: to rain (Note: stem-change verb, only used in the third person singular)

It is raining a lot today.

Llueve mucho hoy.

4. llamar: to call (Note: this verb can also be used reflexively to express your name)

I am calling my brother.

Llamo a mi hermano.

He is called Robert.

Él se llama Roberto.

5. llorar: to cry

Amanda cries a lot.

Amanda llora mucho.

6. llenar: to fill (up)

She is filling up the bathtub with water.

Ella llena la bañera con agua.

The Spanish verb estar has many idiomatic expressions associated with it. Idioms are phrases or sentences that do not translate directly from one language to another. A common example in English is ‘ it’s raining cats and dogs.’ Idioms developed over time in languages and sometimes the origin of them is known and other times it is unknown. They are a colourful part of any language and should be learned along with regular vocabulary and grammar to become a fluent speaker. Here are some of the more common idioms with estar:

estar de viaje                                                 to be travelling

estar de vacaciones                                   to be on vacation

estar de negocios                                        to be somewhere on business

estar de moda                                    to be in fashion/style

estar en forma                                   to be in shape

estar de acuerdo                                to be in agreement

estar de jefe                                                     to be the acting boss

estar en un lío                                                to be in a mess/trouble

estar de rodillas                                            to be kneeling

estar de pie                                                       to be standing

estar de buen/mal humor                     to be in a good/bad mood

Being mindful when using adjectives with estar to agree your adjective with your noun!

estar hecho/a polvo                                 to be worn out

estar hecho/a una sopa                             to be soaking wet

estar apurado/a                                              to be in a hurry

Navigating beer in Germany as a foreigner can be daunting. There are over four dozen official varieties, each stemming from the various regions of Germany and owing to specialized brewing techniques. Here we will look at the basics as well as some cultural tips surrounding beer consumption.

First off, beer in Germany is considered a food item. It is widely available in grocery stores, all restaurants and pubs, concession stands and even vending machines. Age limitations on alcohol consumption are much lower than those found in North America. Teenagers aged 14 or older may consume beer or wine in restaurants when an adult is present. At the age of 16, youth may drink beer or wine unaccompanied. To consume hard liquor, the age limit is set at 18. Similar laws apply to the purchase of alcohol. Special beverages comprised of beer and soft drinks are also available for younger drinkers, to lower the alcohol percentage. As there are no strict age restrictions or separate “pubs/bars,” family members of all ages may dine together at all times allowing for a more multigenerational social life.

As beer is considered a food item, it’s pricing is more in line with that of soft drinks and mineral waters; between two and four euros depending on the size. Beer is often taken with lunch as well although this practice is declining. Beer consumption in Germany overall has been declining for the last two decades owing to the aging population, healthier trends as well as young people experimenting with new foreign alcoholic drinks. That said, Germany still ranks fifth in the world in beer consumption with 110 L per person per year.

The German government strictly controls beer production going back to the 16th century. It may only be made with four ingredients: water, hops, yeast and malt. All variances are based on the technique in brewing. The type of beer you will be ordering in a given restaurant owes a lot to the region in which you find yourself. Every region produces its own traditional beer type. Here are some of the more common ones:

Pils-the most popular with roughly 60% of the market share

Kölsch-specific to the Cologne region

Altbier-an ale specific to Düsseldorf and region

Weissbier-most popular in Bavaria

Hefeweizen– cloudy in appearance due to yeast being left in, wheat malt

Bockbier-based on a barley malt, high alcohol content and brewed for holiday occasions

Helles-a lager, light in color and easy to drink

Dunkles-Amber to dark in color, more of a sipping beer

The label on the beer bottle will give you much information such as, the name and type of beer, the brewery’s location, the year the company was founded, and of course its alcohol content. Most German beers are between 3.5% and 6% alcohol content. Low alcohol or nonalcoholic beers are also popular. Nonalcoholic beers generally taste much better than their North American equivalents.

When out drinking with Germans, the most common way to say cheers is Prost.  This may be called out by someone for every new round of beer or at any time. The tradition is to lift up your beer glass, sometimes even above your head, and call out Prost before lowering it to take a drink. Another common way to say cheers is Zum Wohl which roughly translates as “to your health.”