Spanish placement test · B1

«Estoy embarazada.» What is she saying?

I am pregnant — «Embarazada» is pregnant. Embarrassed is «avergonzada» or, more usually, «me da vergüenza». This is the false friend that gets quoted in every classroom for a reason.

«Quedé con Ana a las ocho.» What did I do?

I arranged to meet Ana at eight — «Quedar con alguien» is to arrange to meet. Add the pronoun and it changes: «me quedé en casa» is I stayed at home. It is one of the verbs where the pronoun is the whole difference — like «ir» and «irse».

«Me duele la garganta.» What is wrong?

My throat hurts — «La garganta» is the throat. And look at the shape: «doler» works like «gustar» — the part of the body is the subject, so it is «me duele la garganta» but «me duelen los pies». Note too that Spanish says «la garganta», not «mi garganta».

«Su hermano es muy majo.» What is he like?

He is really nice — «Majo» is nice, likeable, easy to get on with — everyday Spain, not Latin America, where you would hear «simpático» or «buena onda». Clever is «listo», good-looking is «guapo».

«Aprobé el examen de historia.» What happened?

I passed the history exam — «Aprobar un examen» is to pass it; failing is «suspender», and just sitting it is «hacer» or «presentarse a». «Aprobar» does also mean to approve of something, which is where the confusion starts.

«¿___ a mi hermano?» — «Sí, nos vimos en tu boda.»

Conoces — «Conocer» is to be acquainted with a person or a place; «saber» is to know a fact or how to do something. English has one verb for both. And note the «a»: a person as an object takes «a» — conoces A mi hermano.

«Le ___ un café al camarero y luego le ___ dónde estaba el baño.» Which pair fits?

pedí … pregunté — English has one «ask» for both. Spanish splits it: «pedir» is to ask FOR something — a coffee, a favour, the bill — and «preguntar» is to ask a question. So you «pides un café» and «preguntas dónde está el baño».

«El piso es caro. Sin embargo, lo vamos a alquilar.» What does «sin embargo» do?

It contrasts: however — «Sin embargo» is «however»: it turns the sentence round. «Por lo tanto» concludes, «por ejemplo» gives an example and «además» adds. Careful — «sin embargo» has nothing to do with «embarazada» from the first question, and nothing to do with «embargo» in English.

«¿Quieres venir?» — «___, claro que quiero.»

Sí — «Sí» with an accent is «yes»; «si» without one is «if» — «si quieres, vamos». The accent is the only thing that tells them apart in writing, and in speech it is the stress.

Cuando era niño, ___ al colegio en autobús todos los días.

iba — A repeated habit in the past is the imperfect: iba. «Fui» would be one closed journey, «he ido» belongs to today or to your life so far, and «iré» is the future. «Todos los días» is the giveaway.

Quiero que ___ conmigo al médico.

vengas — Wanting, asking or hoping plus a CHANGE of subject sends the second verb to the subjunctive: quiero que vengas. If the subject stays the same you use the infinitive instead — «quiero ir», not «quiero que yo vaya».

No creo que ___ verdad lo que dice.

sea — «Creo que es verdad», but «no creo que SEA verdad». The negation is what does it: deny the opinion and the verb after «que» goes to the subjunctive. This is the second of the three places the subjunctive lives.

___ la puerta, por favor. (abrir, tú)

abre — The positive «tú» command is the third-person present with nothing added: abre, habla, come. It is the negative that changes shape completely — «no abras» — because everything negative uses the subjunctive.

Si ___ tiempo, iría contigo al cine.

tuviera — Unreal condition: «si» plus the past subjunctive, and the conditional in the other half — si tuviera tiempo, iría. The one thing that never happens is a conditional straight after this «si»: «si tendría» does not exist.

«¿Le diste el libro a Marta?» — «Sí, ___ di ayer.»

se lo — The person comes first and the thing second, but when both would start with «l» the first turns into «se»: «le lo di» is impossible, it is «se lo di». «Se la» would need a feminine thing, and «el libro» is masculine.

___ a Perú en 2019 y me quedé tres semanas.

Fui — «En 2019» is a closed date, so it takes the preterite: fui. «He ido» works for a period that is still open — «este año he ido dos veces» — and «iba» would be a habit, not one trip.

«Mi profesor es aburrido.» What am I saying about him?

He is boring — «Ser aburrido» is to be a boring person; «estar aburrido» is to be bored at this moment. The same split runs through «ser listo» (clever) and «estar listo» (ready), «ser rico» (wealthy) and «estar rico» (delicious).

Ayer Marta ___ con tu hermano por teléfono.

habló — The accent moves the stress and with it the person: «hablo» is I speak, «habló» is he or she spoke. Same letters, different subject and different tense. «Hablé» would be «I spoke» and «hablaba» a habit, not one call.

What changes on 1 October?

Calle Mayor closes to traffic at weekends — «Cerrar al tráfico la calle Mayor los fines de semana a partir del uno de octubre.» Two pieces to keep apart: what is closed (to traffic, not the shops) and when (weekends only). «A partir de» means «from … onwards».

What happens after six months?

They will decide whether to keep the measure — «Después se decidirá si se mantiene»: it will be decided whether it stays. That «se» is the impersonal one — Spanish avoids saying who decides — and «si» here means «whether», not «if».

Why are some shopkeepers against it?

Their customers will not be able to park outside — «Unos piensan que perderán clientes porque nadie podrá aparcar delante de la tienda.» The text sets out two views with «unos… y otros…», and this is the first one.

What has the council promised about the number 12 bus?

It will run every ten minutes on Saturdays — «El autobús 12 pasará cada diez minutos los sábados.» «Pasar» for a bus is «to come by», and «cada diez minutos» is how often — nothing in the text says anything about the fare.

Who may still drive into the street?

Residents who have a garage — «Los vecinos QUE TENGAN garaje podrán seguir entrando.» The subjunctive after the relative says the council is not talking about particular known neighbours but about whoever has a garage — the same «that might be out there» use as «busco un piso que tenga terraza».

What is the deadline for having your say?

15 September — «Hasta el 15 de septiembre.» The other date in the text, 1 October, is when the street closes — the deadline comes before it, which is exactly the sort of thing these questions check.