May. 3, 2008
The Difference Between
As in all languages there are tricks to the trade. In order to learn better we develop keys to our understanding. In Spanish it isn't any different. Today I want to share with you the difference between buenos dias, buenas tardes and buenas noches.
The nice part about most languages that have Latin as their "grandparent" is each language uses feminine and masculine differences. Now it doesn't mean the feminine words are girly and the masculine ones are rough and tough. Most times you would be able to tell the difference if they are masculine or feminine by their endings.
For instance, in Spanish if a word ends in "o" then it is considered masculine. The difference for feminine is the words would end in "a".
Now plural words are the same way but with an "s" added to it. The difference between masculine and feminine plural words are the feminine words will end in "as" and the masculine "os".
Aren't we having fun yet?!
What type of word is "buenos"?
I hope you said masculine because that's the right answer.
Buenos ends in "os" so it it masculine.
You can say the mornings are for the men.
Buenos dias. Good morning. Or good day.
With our trick to the trade, what type of word is "buenas"?
Ding! Ding! Ding!
We have a winner! I know you said buenas is feminine.
You can say the afternoon and evening is for the women.
Buenas tardes. Good afternoon.
Buenas noches. Good evening. Or good night.
Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying "lady of the evening". We are a family blog so don't let your mind go there. LOL!
Now you will remember to always say buenas noches (the right way) instead of buenos noches (the wrong way).
The difference between all three are very clear once you apply the keys.
Please let me know if this information has been helpful or not. And, if you have other problem areas, let us know about them. We are here to help make your Spanish learning easy and fun.
Adios, hasta luego,
Michelle Rothwell
