Talking about Yourself and Your Relationships In Spanish

Talking about Yourself and Your Relationships with Others in Spanish. These revision notes cover the foundation and higher-tier expectations for describing yourself, your family, and relationships with others in Spanish. You can build upon these basics to talk about friendships, conflicts, and how you manage relationships in more complex ways.

Talking about Yourself

• Foundation Tier:
  • Name & Age
    • Me llamo... = My name is...
    • Tengo... años = I am... years old
    • Example: Me llamo Ana y tengo 16 años = My name is Ana and I am 16 years old.
  • Where You Live
    • Vivo en... = I live in...
    • Vivo en una ciudad pequeña = I live in a small town.
  • Appearance
    • Soy... = I am...
    • Tengo el pelo... = I have... hair
    • Tengo los ojos... = I have... eyes
    • Example: Soy alta y tengo el pelo largo y rubio = I am tall and have long, blonde hair.
  • Personality
    • Soy... = I am...
    • Me considero... = I consider myself...
    • Example: Soy amable y me considero una persona optimista = I am kind and I consider myself an optimistic person.
• Higher Tier:
  • Detailed Description of Yourself
    • Físicamente, tengo... = Physically, I have...
    • Personalmente, soy... = Personally, I am...
    • Example: Físicamente, tengo los ojos azules y la piel clara. Personalmente, soy introvertida, pero también muy responsable = Physically, I have blue eyes and fair skin. Personally, I am introverted, but also very responsible.
  • Hobbies and Interests
    • Me gusta... = I like...
    • Soy aficionado/a a... = I am a fan of...
    • Example: Me gusta leer y soy aficionada a la música = I like reading and I am a fan of music.

Talking About Family and Relationships

• Foundation Tier:
  • Family Members
    • Tengo una familia... = I have a... family
    • Mi madre/padre/hermano/a = My mother/father/brother/sister
    • Example: Tengo una familia pequeña. Mi madre se llama Laura y mi hermano se llama Tomás = I have a small family. My mother's name is Laura and my brother's name is Tomás.
  • Talking About Relationships
    • Me llevo bien con... = I get on well with...
    • No me llevo bien con... = I don't get on well with...
    • Example: Me llevo muy bien con mi madre, pero no me llevo bien con mi hermano = I get on very well with my mother, but I don't get on well with my brother.
  • Marital Status
    • Estoy casado/a = I am married
    • Soy soltero/a = I am single
    • Example: Mi tía está casada, pero mi primo es soltero = My aunt is married, but my cousin is single.
• Higher Tier:
  • Detailed Description of Family
    • En mi familia somos... = In my family, we are...
    • Tengo una relación muy estrecha con... = I have a very close relationship with...
    • Example: En mi familia somos cuatro personas. Tengo una relación muy estrecha con mi madre porque nos contamos todo = In my family, there are four people. I have a very close relationship with my mother because we tell each other everything.
  • Describing Your Relationship with Family Members
    • Mi madre es... = My mother is...
    • Mi hermano y yo nos llevamos muy bien = My brother and I get on very well
    • Tenemos una relación excelente = We have an excellent relationship
    • Example: Mi madre es muy cariñosa y mi hermana y yo nos llevamos muy bien. Tenemos una relación excelente = My mother is very affectionate and my sister and I get on very well. We have an excellent relationship.

Describing Friends and Social Life

• Foundation Tier:
  • Describing Friends
    • Mi mejor amigo/a se llama... = My best friend is called...
    • Es muy... = He/She is very...
    • Example: Mi mejor amiga se llama Marta y es muy divertida = My best friend is called Marta and she is very fun.
  • Social Activities
    • Nos gusta... = We like...
    • Vamos a... = We go to...
    • Example: Nos gusta salir al cine los fines de semana = We like going to the cinema on weekends.
• Higher Tier:
  • Describing a Close Friendship
    • Tengo una amistad muy especial con... = I have a very special friendship with...
    • Es alguien en quien confío mucho = He/She is someone I trust a lot
    • Example: Tengo una amistad muy especial con mi mejor amiga, Carla. Es alguien en quien confío mucho = I have a very special friendship with my best friend, Carla. She is someone I trust a lot.
  • Describing Social Relationships
    • Me gusta pasar tiempo con mis amigos porque somos muy parecidos = I like spending time with my friends because we are very similar
    • Tenemos intereses comunes, como el cine y los deportes = We have common interests, like cinema and sports.

Conflicts and Difficult Relationships

• Foundation Tier:
  • Describing a Conflict
    • Tenemos discusiones sobre... = We argue about...
    • A veces, me enfado con... = Sometimes, I get angry with...
    • Example: A veces, me enfado con mi hermano porque no me escucha = Sometimes, I get angry with my brother because he doesn't listen to me.
• Higher Tier:
  • Describing a Difficult Relationship
    • Tenemos una relación tensa porque... = We have a tense relationship because...
    • No me entiendo bien con... = I don't get on well with...
    • Example: Tenemos una relación tensa porque siempre discutimos sobre cosas pequeñas = We have a tense relationship because we always argue about small things.
  • Resolving Conflicts
    • Intento resolver los problemas hablando = I try to resolve problems by talking
    • Es importante perdonar = It's important to forgive
    • Example: Cuando tenemos una discusión, intento resolver los problemas hablando y siempre trato de perdonar = When we have an argument, I try to resolve problems by talking and I always try to forgive.

Key Vocabulary

• Adjectives
  • Amable = Kind
  • Cariñoso/a = Affectionate
  • Honesto/a = Honest
  • Divertido/a = Fun
  • Serio/a = Serious
  • Tímido/a = Shy
  • Responsable = Responsible
  • Sociable = Sociable
• Phrases
  • Me llevo bien con... = I get on well with...
  • Nos llevamos mal = We get on badly
  • Es mi amigo/a desde hace... = He/She has been my friend for...
  • Tengo una relación cercana con... = I have a close relationship with...