Lesson Two (Beginner Spanish)
Welcome Everyone,
In our last lesson we began to feel twelve new actions:
quiero (I want), comer (to eat), dormir (to sleep), jugar (to play), bailar (to dance), trabajar (to work), soñar (to dream), escribir (to write), bailar (to dance), comprar (to buy), beber (to drink), leer (to read), and cantar (to sing).
We also learned the phrase “Me parese.” We connected the words:
bonito (pretty or beautiful), feo (ugly), correcto (correct), incorrecto (incorrect), falso (false), ridiculo (ridiculous), difficile (difficult), facile (easy), caro (expensive), barato (cheap) to the phrase.
That was a lot in our first lesson. Hopefully you have been listening to the songs on occasion.
Tengo
Today we are going to learn the verb “tengo” (I have).
I love the verb tengo (I have). It also provides a great physical comparison to ‘quiero’. For ‘quiero’, we reach out and pull our imagined object of desire toward ourselves. For tengo, we fold the fingers forward and press the tips of our fingers to our chest indicating that we have something. “I have.” We want to imagine the feeling of having something. The fingers touching our chest reinforces the feeling that whatever we are talking about belongs to us.
Gesture: tengo
Fold the fingers forward and press the tips of our fingers to our chest indicating that we have something.
[S3VIDEO file=’B2/LangDanceM1.mov’]
Obviously tengo and quiero are very important verbs. To accompany the verb tengo, I have included seven popular nouns. These words are among the most commonly used words in the Spanish language.
Song Tengo
Now, as I show you examples of gestures, don’t forget that you can create your own gestures. Do what works for you. But please ensure that you accompany your phrase with a gesture.
Gesture: madre (mother) touch the chin with the thumb, fingers extended. |
Gesture: Tengo una madre (I have a mother) Put the gestures tengo and madre together. |
[S3VIDEO file=’B2/LangDanceM2.mov’] | [S3VIDEO file=’B2/LangDanceM10.mov’] |
Gesture: padre (father) touch the forehead with the thumb, fingers extended. |
Gesture: Tengo un padre (I have a father) Put the gestures tengo and padre together. |
[S3VIDEO file=’B2/LangDanceM3.mov’] | [S3VIDEO file=’B2/LangDanceM11.mov’] |
Gesture: tia (aunt) circle the cheek with the thumb. This is actually the “A” handshape in ASL. |
Gesture: Tengo una tia (I have an aunt) Put the gestures tengo and tia together. |
[S3VIDEO file=’B2/LangDanceM4.mov’] | [S3VIDEO file=’B2/LangDanceM16.mov’] |
Gesture: tio (uncle) Making the “U” handshape in ASL, twist the wrist twice near the top of the head. |
Gesture: Tengo un tio (I have an uncle) Put the gestures tengo and tio together. |
[S3VIDEO file=’B2/LangDanceM5.mov’] | [S3VIDEO file=’B2/LangDanceM17.mov’] |
Gesture: perro (dog) Tap your hip or thigh and then snap your fingers as if you are calling for your dog. |
Gesture: Tengo un perro (I have a dog) Put the gestures tengo and perro together. |
[S3VIDEO file=’B2/LangDanceM6.mov’] | [S3VIDEO file=’B2/LangDanceM13.mov’] |
Gesture: gatto (cat) Imagine you are a cat with whiskers. Touch and twist the whiskers, as one might do with a long mustache. |
Gesture: Tengo un gatto (I have a cat) Put the gestures tengo and gatto together. |
[S3VIDEO file=’B2/LangDanceM7.mov’] | [S3VIDEO file=’B2/LangDanceM14.mov’] |
Gesture: pez (fish) Touching the tips of the fingers of the left hand to the palm of the right hand, imitate a swimming fish. |
Gesture: Tengo un pez (I have a fish) Put the gestures tengo and pez together. |
[S3VIDEO file=’B2/LangDanceM8.mov’] | [S3VIDEO file=’B2/LangDanceM15.mov’] |
Gesture: Pajaro (bird) Using your extended finger and thumb, make the beak of a bird, opening and closing the beak a couple of times. |
Gesture: Tengo un pajaro (I have a bird) Put the gestures tengo and pajaro together. |
[S3VIDEO file=’B2/LangDanceM9.mov’] | [S3VIDEO file=’B2/LangDanceM12.mov’] |
tengo
tengo
un madre
tengo un madre
un padre
tengo un padre
un pajaro
tengo un pajaro
un perro
tengo un perro
un gatto
tengo un gatto
un pez
tengo un pez
una tia
tengo una tia
un tio
tengo un tio
Gesture: mucho (a lot, much)
Gesture: Tengo mucho
Gesture: tiempo
Gesture: libre
Gesture: exámines
Gesture: trabajo
Gesture: amigos
Gesture: hambre
Gesture: talento
Gesture: sueño
Gesture: libros
Gesture: aprender
Gesture: dinero
Gesture: tiempo libre