Spanish Contractions. Telling Time. The verb comenzar

¿Qué hora es?

El señor López termina el desayuno y grita de nuevo: — ¿Dónde está mi abrigo, dónde está mi sombrero?

A las siete en punto el señor López llega a la fábrica, a las siete y media visita los talleres, a las ocho y media habla con el director, a las nueve menos cuarto o menos diez comienza a trabajar y trabaja hasta las cuatro. El señor López regresa a casa de buen humor y por el camino compra flores para la señora de López.

Vocablos

The audio was originally in the lessons: 1-9, 13, 14, 16, 17, 20, 21, 27, 28, 30, 31, 33, 39, 41, 43, 45-47, 49-56, 60.

Notes

Learn the expressions:

Telling Time in Spanish

Note that the feminine article la/las refers to la hora which is not pronounced.

Remember:

Grammar points

1. The merge of the preposition a with the definite article

If the preposition a comes before the masculine singular definite article el, they merge, for example — a + el = al.

Before feminine singular definite article la, the preposition a doesn’t change.

2. The conjugation of the verb comenzar in the present tense

Irregular verbs can be divided into two categories based on level of deviation from the norm:

1. Verbs of deviating conjugation
2. Verbs of individual conjugation

You already know two verbs of individual conjugation from the previous lesson: ir and estar.

Verbs of deviating conjugation have less changes from the norm, but they are divided into five groups.

One of such verbs is the stem-changing verb comenzar — to begin, to start, that relates to the I group of verbs of deviating conjugation.

Presente

comenzar to begin, to start

Note:

The verb comenzar is always used in a combination of the preposition a and the infinitive form of a conjugated verb, for example:

The verb comenzar, as was said earlier, belongs to the first group of deviating conjugation. The conjugation of this verb has a small deviation from the general rule, namely: the stressed -e- in the stem turns into -ie- in the third person plural and in all singular persons. You need to memorize this deviation because this is the distinctive feature of the other verbs of this group. More information will be given further in the lessons and will be summarized in lesson 58.

Exercises

I. Answer the following questions:

¿Dónde está el sombrero? ¿Dónde está el abrigo? ¿A qué hora toma López el desayuno? ¿A qué hora llega a la fábrica? ¿A qué hora habla con el director? ¿Por qué compra flores López?

II. Fill in the blanks with an appropriate hour:

López toma el desayuno , llega a la fábrica en punto, visita los talleres , habla con el director , comienza a trabajar y trabaja hasta .

III. Translate into Spanish:

I begin to work at seven o’clock. I finish at three o’clock. We have breakfast at eight o’clock. We don’t work at the factory. They go to the factory at ten past eight and return at five to five. Mr. Lopez and Mrs. Lopez have breakfast and talk. At seven o’clock Mr. Lopez goes to the factory. She doesn’t work. When Mr. Lopez returns home, he buys flowers for Mrs. Lopez. Mr. Lopez comes back always at five o’clock sharp.

IV. Translate the given verbs into Spanish:

I shout
you shout (sing.)
he shouts
we shout
you shout (pl.)
they shout
you shout (p.f.)

they leave
you leave (pl.)
we leave
he leaves
you leave (sing.)
you leave (p.f.)
I leave