Pitman's Commercial Spanish Grammar (2nd ed.)

Chapter 3

Chapter 33,116 wordsPublic domain

12. Si tiene V. algún azúcar (sugar) yo lo compraré.

13. ¿Quiere su hermano (de V.) vender algunos libros?

14. No, no quiere vender ningunos de sus libros.

15. Mi cuñado no necesita comprar libros; tiene muchísimos, algunos viejos (old), otros nuevos (new), y tres ó cuatro (three or four) novísimos,[47] uno de ellos (of them) es bonísimo.[47]

16. Cualquier libro es útil.

[Footnote 47: Adjectives containing _ie_ or _ue_ change them into _e_ and _o_ before adding _ísimo_, as Nuevo, novísimo; cierto, certísimo.]

EXERCISE 2 (10).

Translate into Spanish--

1. I have some money.

2. What goods do you want (wish to have)?

3. I want some brown prints and some red calico.

4. I have no (not any) red calico, but I must buy some (debo comprar).[48]

5. Do you want to sell me any? (venderme).

6. There are (hay) many inkstands in this shop (tienda); do you want any? (quiere V. alguno? or algunos?).

7. Yes, I want some (alguno or algunos).

8. Have you any[49] bread (pan)?

9. Yes, I have some bread and cheese (tengo pan y queso).

10. Any book will be useful.

11. The teeth and the tongue are inside (dentro de) the mouth.

12. The teeth want great attention.

13. Yes, they must always be clean.

14. We want to study Spanish because it is (es) very necessary in commerce (en el comercio).

15. If you study with attention you will soon (pronto) speak and write Spanish very well.

16. John speaks French very badly but he is studying it (lo está estudiando) with much attention.

17. Do you understand this lesson?

18. Yes, I understand this lesson well; it is not very difficult.

19. No lesson is difficult if we study with care (con cuidado).

[Footnote 48: "Some" and "any," following a verb and referring to a singular noun previously mentioned, are not to be translated.]

[Footnote 49: "Some" and "any" are generally not translated when they are not used in a _partitive sense, i.e._, with an idea of a limited quantity.]

LESSON VI. (Lección sexta.)

CARDINAL NUMBERS.

Uno,[50] una 1 Cuarenta 40 Dos 2 Cuarenta y uno _or_ Cuarentiuno 41 Tres 3 etc. etc. Cuatro 4 Cincuenta 50 Cinco 5 Sesenta 60 Seis 6 Setenta 70 Siete 7 Ochenta 80 Ocho 8 Noventa 90 Nueve 9 Ciento[52] 100 Diez 10 Ciento y uno _or_ Cientiuno 101 Once 11 Ciento y dos _or_ Cientidós, 102 Doce 12 etc. etc. Trece 13 Ciento diez 110 Catorce 14 Doscientos,-as 200 Quince 15 Trescientos,-as 300 Diez y seis _or_ Dieciséis 16 Cuatrocientos,-as 400 Diez y siete _or_ Diecisiete 17 Quinientos,-as 500 Diez y ocho _or_ Dieciocho 18 Seiscientos,-as 600 Diez y nueve _or_ Diecinueve 19 Setecientos,-as 700 Veinte 20 Ochocientos,-as 800 Veinte y uno _or_ Veintiuno[51] 21 Novecientos,-as 900 Veinte y dos _or_ Veintidós, 22 Mil 1,000 etc. etc. Dos mil, etc. 2,000 Treinta 30 Cien[53] mil 100,000 Treinta y uno _or_ Treintiuno, 31 Cien mil y uno 100,001 etc. etc. Cien mil y diez 100,010 Un millón 1,000,000

[Footnote 50: When immediately preceding a noun, "uno" becomes "un"]

[Footnote 51: "Ciento" becomes "cien." ("Cien" is found instead of "ciento," even standing alone.)]

[Footnote 52: The duplicate forms are common to all the tens.]

[Footnote 53: "Ciento" drops the _to_ also before "mil"; and of course before "millón" (a noun).]

The conjunction "and" is always used between tens and units, as--

Veinte y una or veintiuna manzanas (21 apples).

But it is generally omitted between hundreds and tens, as--

Doscientas treinta peras (230 pears).

"Ciento" and "mil" are not preceded by "uno" except in 101,000, 201,000, etc., to avoid ambiguity, as--

Doscientos mil soldados (200,000 soldiers). Doscientas y un mil millas (201,000 miles).

"One million inhabitants" is translated by Un millón _de_ habitantes. (_Note_.--The _de_ cannot be omitted.)

In the case of more than one million the word "millón" must be plural--millones, as--

Cien millones de hombres (one hundred million men).

As will have been observed, besides "uno," "doscientos," "trescientos," etc., change the _os_ into =as= for the feminine.

[Footnote 54: The Future Indic. and the Cond. mood of "Haber" and "Tener" are formed irregularly from the Infinitive mood, the _e_ after the root _Hab_ being dropped, and after the root _Ten_ being changed to d.]

[Footnote 55: For reference only-- _Ser_ (and not _Estar_) must be used:

(1) Before nouns; (3) When denoting possession; (2) When used impersonally; (4) Before Feliz, Infeliz, Rico, Pobre.]

VOCABULARY.

=acabar de=,[56] to have just =almacén=, warehouse =aprender=, to learn =ayudar=, to help =bañar=, to wet, to bathe, to water =bicicleta=, bicycle =certísimo=, most certain =discípulo=, pupil =disfrutar=, to enjoy =él es, ella es=,[57] it is =ello= (_neuter_),[57] it =este= (_m._), =esta= (_f._), this =esto= (_neuter_),[58] this =estos= (_m._), =estas= (_f._), these =la fecha=, the date =la gente=, the people =hermosamente=, beautifully =importancia=, importance =La India=, India =libre=, free =maestro=, master, teacher =la mayor parte=, most, the majority =el mes=, the month =mismo=, same =novísimo=, brand new =otro=, other, another =el Sena=,[59] River Seine =el Tajo=, River Tagus =el Támesis=, River Thames =también=, also, too =tienda=, shop =ventaja=, advantage

[Footnote 56: Followed by the verb in the infinitive mood, as Acabar de escribir (to have just written).]

[Footnote 57: "It" (subject) is most generally left understood, as "It is useful" (Él, ella, _or_ ello) es útil.]

[Footnote 58: Referring to a whole statement, as Esto _or_ ello es justo. This or it (what you have just said) is right.]

[Footnote 59: Names of rivers are masculine because the word "río" (river) is understood.]

EXERCISE 1 (11).

Translate into English--

1. La India es una posesión inglesa de grande importancia.

2. El Sena es un río de Francia[60] y el Támesis es un río de Inglaterra.

3. Toledo, ciudad interesantísima de España bañada por el Tajo.

4. La mayor parte de estos Españoles comen en esta fonda.

5. Este año las tiendas están hermosamente decoradas.

6. Es certísimo que los almacenes y las tiendas de esta calle disfrutan de grandes ventajas.

7. ¿De quién es esta regla? Es mía.

8. ¿En que fecha escribió V. la carta?

9. La escribí (I wrote it) ayer.

10. Juan acaba de comprar una bicicleta novísima.

11. Yo acabo de comprar cepillos de dientes y de cabello.

12. La criada compró esta mañana una escoba.

13. Necesitamos comprar manteca pero no la compramos porque no queremos gastar dinero.

14. La mayor parte de la gente no quiere gastarlo (to spend it).

15. ¿Es bueno este vino?

16. Es muy bueno y también no es caro.

[Footnote 60: Names of countries should not take the article (the rule is not very strict, however). EXCEPTIONS: La India, El Perú, El Japón (Japan).]

EXERCISE 2 (12).

Translate into Spanish--

1. Foreigners in England enjoy many advantages.

2. Yes, because England is a free country.

3. Englishmen also enjoy the same advantages in other free countries.

4. Does the teacher help his pupils?

5. He does (Sí, Señor), but the pupils must study and learn their lessons well and work diligently (diligentemente).[61]

6. This morning I was writing a letter when my sister spoke of the bicycle (which [62]) she wants to buy.

7. Did you sell the muslins and prints (which) you bought last year (el año pasado)?

8. The merchant has drawn a bill at three months' date for (por) the velvets (which [62]) he sold to the Spanish customer.

9. Little and good is better than much and bad.

10. John is a partner in that firm (casa).

11. It is necessary to work.

12. This is George's beautiful garden.

13. It is a large garden with many flowers, roses, carnations, violets and other plants (plantas).

14. Who is here?

15. Charles and Henry are here.

[Footnote 61: To form an adverb from an adjective add _mente_ as you add "ly" in English. If the adjective changes for the feminine add _mente_ to the feminine form, as rico (_m._), rica (_f._)--ricamente (richly).]

[Footnote 62: Cannot be left understood in Spanish.]

LESSON VII. (Lección séptima.)

ORDINAL NUMBERS AND FRACTIONS.

[Footnote 63: Ordinal adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they accompany or for which they stand. Final _o_ changes into _a_ for the feminine, and the plural is formed by adding _s_.]

"Primero," "tercero," and "Postrero" drop the =O= before a masculine noun singular,[64] as--

El primer pedido: The first order. El tercer lote: The third lot. El postrer envío: The last shipment.

But--

La primera entrega (_fem._): The first delivery.

[Footnote 64: Eight words in all present this peculiarity, viz., uno, alguno, ninguno, bueno, malo, primero, tercero, postrero (these last two not always).]

After "vigésimo" ordinal numbers are generally substituted by cardinal numbers, as--

La página veintidós: Page 22nd.

Dates are expressed by cardinal numbers instead of ordinal, as--

Madrid, 20 (de) Agosto (de) 1911: Madrid, 20th of August, 1911.

EXCEPTION: El primero, as--

El 1° (primero) de Septiembre (1st September).

Numbers following names of kings, etc., are ordinal up to the tenth; then generally cardinal, as--

Felipe II. (segundo): Philip II. Alfonso XIII. (trece): Alphonso XIII.

Fractional numbers up to 1/10th are the same as ordinal numbers, except--

(Un) medio: one half. Un tercio (_not_ tercero): one-third.

From 1/11th upwards, fractions are formed from cardinal numbers adding to them the termination =avo=, as--

Un dieciseisavo[65]: 1/16.

_Un_ need not be used before the fractions 1/2, 1/3 and 1/4, preceded by an integer, as--

Uno y cuarto: One and a quarter. Cuatro y tercio: Four and a third. La mitad: The half. La tercera parte: The 3rd part. La cuarta parte: The 4th part. La duodécima parte: The 12th part.

[Footnote 65: If the cardinal number ends in a vowel, this is elided, as veinte--un veintavo (1/20th). If it ends in _ce_ the _c_ is changed into _z_ as, doce--un dozavo (1/12th).]

Collective Numbers.

Un par: A pair. Una treintena: A set of 30.[66] Una decena (half a score).[66] Una centena: A set of 100.[66] Una docena (a dozen).[66] Un centenar: A set of 100.[66] Una veintena: A score.[66] Un ciento: A set of 100.[66] Un millar: A set of 1,000.[66]

[Footnote 66: Also the number approximately, as: Una treintena de libros: (about 30 books).]

[Footnote 67: This tense is formed from the first person singular of the present indicative by changing the last vowel into =e= for the 1st conjugation and into =a= for the 2nd and 3rd conjugations. These remain the ruling vowels throughout the tense.

N.B.--The Subjunctive Mood occurs only in dependent sentences when the action is not expressed in a positive manner but is doubtful or merely contingent.]

VOCABULARY.

=actual=, present =al por mayor, por menor=, wholesale, retail =arroz=, rice =artículo=, article =asociación de obreros=, trade union =blanquear=, to bleach =ya caigo=, I understand, I see =colocar=, to place =*conseguir=, to get =consignación=, consignment =contenido=, contents =decadencia=, decadence =delegado=, delegate =demasiado=, too, too much =difícil=, difficult =driles labrados=, figured drills =driles lisos=, plain drills =entrar á reinar=, to begin to reign =escoger, *elegir=, to choose, to select =extraño=, strange, queer, funny =el germen=, the germ =grueso=, thick, stout =hallar=, to find =ilustrado=, enlightened =incluyendo=, enclosing =limitar=, to limit =mientrastanto=, meanwhile =*obtener=, to get =peso=, weight =poder=, power =podríamos=, we should be able to, might, could =próximo=, next =rebaja=, abatement =rebajar, *reducir=, reduce, to abate =reducción=, abatement, reduction =reunión=, meeting =*salir=, to come, to go, out =*salir en=, to come to =solo= (_adj._), alone =sólo, solamente= (_adv._), only =sujeto á=, subject to =sumar=, to add =tocino=, bacon =tomar=, to take =varios=, several =verificarse=, to take place[68] =*verse obligado á=, to be compelled to[69]

[Footnote 68: Lit.: _to verify itself_.]

[Footnote 69: Lit.: _to see oneself obliged_.]

EXERCISE 1 (13).

Translate into English--

1. ¿Cuál envío han recibido Vs.?

2. Nos han llegado el primero y el cuarto, pero el tercer lote no ha llegado todavía.

3. El postrer hombre á entrar en la reunión fué el delegado de la asociación de obreros.

4. ¿(A) cuánto por libra cuesta este tocino?

5. Al por menor sale en seis peniques y cuarto, pero al por mayor podríamos darlo á cinco y tercio ó talvez un poquito menos, digamos (say) cinco y cinco dieciseisavos.

6. ¿Puede V. sumar tres dozavos y siete quinzavos?

7. Sí, Señor, esto hace ciento veintinueve cientiochentavos.

8. ¡Qué fracción tan extraña!

9. Lo es en efecto pero se da (it is given)[70] sólo por ejemplo.

10. ¡Ah, ya caigo!

11. Felipe II entró á reinar en 1556. Ningún soberano (sovereign) de Europa podía competir en poder y en Estados con él, pero ya desde ese tiempo se observan (are observed)[70] los gérmenes de la decadencia que se verificó después.

12. Alfonso XIII actual rey de España es un monarca ilustrado y constitucional.

13. La nueva España espera mucho de él.

14. El primero y el quince de cada (each) mes, la Compañía efectúa (effects) sus pagos.

15. Hoy estamos á (to-day is) cinco de Junio de 1911.

[Footnote 70: The verb with SE is _reflexive_ or _passive_: se da, _it gives itself_ or _it is given_; se observan, _they observe themselves_ or _are observed_.]

EXERCISE 2 (14).

Translate into Spanish--

1. I shall be compelled (me veré obligado á) to abandon this undertaking. It is too difficult.

2. We received a consignment of rice, but the price demanded (pedido), 2-15/16d. a lb., is too dear; we shall never be able (nunca podremos) to get it; a better quality (calidad), whiter and stouter, was placed at 2-29/32d. but (sólo) a few days ago (hace algunos días).

3. If you cannot sell your plain and figured drills at the figures quoted it will be necessary to abate the price.

4. I shall accept those bleached linens subject to an abatement of 5 per cent.

5. We shall consult our partners; meanwhile let us leave (dejemos)[71] the matter in abeyance (en suspenso).

6. He has chosen several designs (diseños, dibujos) for his lot of prints, but he finds that three of them are wrong (están equivocados).

7. Some firms always give wrong (falsos, inexactos) weights in their declarations.

8. He ordered the wrong article (un ... por otro).

9. You are wrong (V. se equivoca), it is the right (justo, exacto) article.

10. This cloth is finished on the wrong side (al revés).

11. We received your favour (su atenta) of 10th instant (del corriente), enclosing copy of your previous letter 1st ult. (p°, p°.) and have taken note of its contents.

12. By next mail (mala) we shall send you all the details required (que Vs. necesitan).

[Footnote 71: The Imperative Mood is like the Pres. Subj., except in the 2nd Person.]

LESSON VIII. (Lección octava.)

PERSONAL PRONOUNS.

We shall divide the Personal Pronouns into Subject Pronouns and Object Pronouns.[72]

[Footnote 72: Grammarians often give the names-- Nominative case for the Subject pronouns Accusative " " " Direct object pronouns Dative " " " Indirect object pronouns]

Instead of "Tú" or "Vosotros,-as," =V=. and =Vs=. are used in general conversation as already stated (the verb following in the 3rd person).

N.B.--These pronouns are left understood when no emphasis is required or where no ambiguity is possible, as--

(Yo) compro las telas: I buy the cloths. (Él) gira las letras y firma las cartas: He draws the bills and signs the letters. (Ella) ha tenido una entrevista con su abogado: She has had an interview with her barrister, lawyer or solicitor.

But--

Yo he comprado la partida de ferretería y quincalla y no V.: _I_ have bought the lot of ironware and small ware and not _you_.

=Object Pronouns=.

These are divided into two classes--1. =Disjunctive=, viz., following a preposition--

Mí (me) Nosotros-as (us) Tí (thee) Vosotros-as (you) Él (him, it, _m._) Ellos-as (them) Ella (her, it, _f._) Ello (_neuter_) (it, referring to a whole statement) V. (you, sing.) Vs. (you, pl.)

EXAMPLES--

Ellos hablan de mí: They speak of me. Nosotros trabajamos para él: We work for him. Ella confía en tí, en V.: She trusts thee, you. V. se declara contra ellos: You declare against them.

2. =Conjunctive=, viz., _direct_ or _indirect object_ of verb (without a preposition).

Él me[73] ama (he loves me) Él nos ama (he loves us) Él te ama (he loves thee) Él os ama (he loves you) Él lo _or_ le ama (he loves Él los ama (he loves them, him, it, _m._) _m._) Él la ama (he loves her, Él las ama (he loves them, or it, _f._) _f._)

[Footnote 73: N.B.--In the conjunctive form the 1st and 2nd persons are the same for both direct and indirect objects, but the 3rd pers. differs.]

EXAMPLES of _Indirect Object_--

Él me da he gives me (to me) Él te da he gives thee (to thee) Él le da he gives him (to him), her (to her), it (to it) Él nos da he gives us (to us) Él os da he gives you (to you) Él les da he gives them (to them, _m._ and _f._)

The direct and indirect object of verb may also be rendered by the pronoun in the Disjunctive form preceded by =á=, as--