This free Spanish audio lesson introduces the "Giving Directions in Spanish" module at docmolly.com. As requested by Bien, a listener, we will practice giving directions in Spanish within a hospital.

First, we will review the vocabulary. Then, we will use this vocabulary to give directions in Spanish. Normally we are speaking with strangers when we ask for and give directions. Therefore, we will use the Usted conjugation for all the verbs.

Perdone
Excuse me.

La cafeteria
Cafeteria

El sótano
Basement

Baje al sótano.
Go down to the basement.

El pasillo, el corredor
Hall(way)

Siga el pasillo.
Follow the hall.

A la derecha / izquierda
To the right / left

El ascensor
Elevator

Al salir del ascensor
As you leave the elevator

Doble/gire a la derecha/izquierda
Turn right/left

A mano derecha/izquierda
On the right-hand/left-hand side

Perdone, ¿Dónde está la cafetería?
Excuse me. Where is the cafeteria?

Está en el sótano.
It’s in the basement.

¿Cómo se va / se llega allí?
How do you get there?

Siga (por) este pasillo y usted verá el ascensor a la derecha.
Follow this hallway and you’ll see the elevator to your right.

Baje al sótano.
Go down basement.

Al salir del ascensor, doble/gire a la izquierda.
As you exit the elevator, turn left.

Verá la cafeteria a mano derecha.
You will see the cafeteria on the right-hand side.

Become a premium member and access all the Spanish Grammar and Medical Spanish lessons at docmolly.com.

Member? Access the Directions in Spanish module. 

The post Giving Directions in Spanish Within a Hospital appeared first on Doc Molly.

Today’s podcast is a quiz on the Spanish prepositions POR y PARA. It kicks off a series of audio lessons that will cover these two prepositions at docmolly.com.

1. Me voy ______ Madrid en Julio. (para) I’m leaving for Madrid in July.2. Este libro es ______ mi hijo. Hoy es su cumpleaños. (para) This book is for my son. It’s his birthday today.3. Quiero viajar ______ avión, en lugar de barco. (por) I want to travel by plane, rather than boat.4. Tengo mucho cariño ______ mis hijos. (por) I am very fond of my children.5. Estudio mucho ______ sacar buenas notas. (para) I study a lot to get good grades.6. No lo hice _______ falta de respeto. (por) I didn’t do it out of lack of respect.7. Gracias _______ el regalo. (por) Thank you for the gift.8. Ella faltó a clase _____ tener demasiado trabajo. (por) She skipped class because she had too much work.9. Cuando vaya a mi trabajo, voy a pasar ______ la casa de María. (por) When I go to work, I am going to stop by María’s house.10. Voy a trabajar ______ Mario, porque hoy está enfermo. (por) I am going to work for Mario, because he is sick today.11. Este podcast es ______ practicar español. (para) This podcast is for practicing Spanish.12. El maestro nos dijo que tenemos que terminar nuestros proyectos _______ el viernes. (para) The teacher told us that we have to complete our projects by Friday.13. Él habla español muy bien ______ ser de los estados unidos. (para) He speaks Spanish very well for being from the United States.14. Él me llama dos o tres veces ____ día. (por) He calls me 2 or 3 times per/a day.

Subscribe to the premium audio lessons at docmolly.com. This quiz introduces a series of audio lessons covering the Spanish prepositions, POR y PARA. The first premium audio lesson will cover PARA. Then we’ll cover POR. Finally we’ll wrap things up with an audio lesson comparing the two prepositions. Therefore, depending on when you listen to this quiz, it will either serve as a preview or a review for the POR vs PARA series at docmolly.com.

Listen to more free audio lessons covering advanced Spanish grammar.

Member? Access the premium series: Prepositions

This podcast reviews some of the grammar points covered during an interview I did for the Medical Spanish Podcast. I interviewed folk healer Francisco Chavajay while studying at the San Pedro Spanish School in Guatemala. The clinical dialogues and interviews presented in the Medical Spanish Podcast provide an effective method of learning key grammatical concepts used in everyday Spanish conversation. In this free grammar podcast, we go over a sampling of the grammar points covered in my interview with don Francisco.

Don Francisco and I

“Fíjese que para ser curandero uno no aprende, no le enseñan.”

Fijarse

Fíjate que son muy caros.
Look, they are very expensive.

Fíjese que para ser curandero uno no aprende.
You see, to be a curandero one doesn’t learn.

The Third Person Plural to Express a Passive Action in Spanish

“No le enseñan.”
One is not taught.

Me ingresaron en el hospital.
I was admitted to the hospital.

Le enseñaron a respetar a los mayores.
She was taught to respect her elders.

Sino Que

“No le enseñan, sino que lo trae desde el vientre de la madre.”
One isn’t taught, rather one gets it from the womb of the mother.

No me riñeron, sino que me animaron.
They did not scold me, instead, they encouraged me.

Subscribe to the premium Spanish Grammar podcast at docmolly.com.

Listen to the Part 1 of the interview with a folk healer, Francisco Chavajay.

• The premium grammar episode
• The premium Folk Medicine series

I highly recommend San Pedro Spanish School in Guatemala. My niece and I had an amazing experience living with a host family and studying at the school. Listen to this podcast to hear more about our experience.

The post Spanish Grammar from Folk Medicine Interview appeared first on Doc Molly.

Practice the confusing difference between quedar and quedarse with this interactive quiz. Whether you are using it to say “to stay,” “to meet up,” or “to run out of,” mastering these two forms is essential for natural Spanish.

Below are several common examples to test your knowledge. For a deep dive into the grammar, check out our essential guide to Quedarse here.

Skip the introduction 04:05 

Me quedé en casa de un amigo.

(I stayed at a friend’s house.)

Se quedó pensativa un largo rato.

(She stayed lost in thought for a long time.)

Quedamos a las siete en la plaza.

(We’re meeting at seven at the plaza.)

La escuela queda a tres millas de aquí.

(The school is 3 miles from here.)

(Ellos) Quedaron en ir hoy.

(They decided/agreed to go today.)

Él siempre queda bien con las chicas.

(He always makes a good impression with the girls.)

Esa corbata queda bien con tus ojos.

(That tie goes well with your eyes.)

Nos quedan tres invitaciones por escribir.

(We have three invitations left to write.)

Quedan cinco días para Navidad.

(There are five days left until Christmas.)

Aún queda comida.

(There’s still food left.)

¿Te quedaste sin dinero?

(Did you run out of money?)

No nos queda más remedio que operar.

(We have no choice.) 

¡Siempre se me quedan los guantes en casa!

(I always leave my gloves at home.)

Ready to dive deeper? If you want to master the grammar behind these examples, check out our comprehensive guide: Mastering the Spanish Verb Quedarse.

Unlock the Audio Lessons: Members get access to two full interactive audio lessons covering every nuance of Quedar and Quedarse. Become a member here to start practicing with our audio flashcards today!

Are you ready to take on some advanced Spanish grammar? This audio quiz reviews the material covered in the following premium audio lessons.

Subjunctive 15 – Conditional (If… then… ) Statements About the Present
Subjunctive 16 – Conditional Statements About the Past
Subjunctive 17 – The Subjunctive Following “Como Si”
Subjunctive 18 – The Subjunctive Following “Ojalá”
Subjunctive 19 – “No Matter How Much” in Spanish
Subjunctive 20 – La Forma Reduplicativa

The post Quiz #5 – The Subjunctive in Conditional Statements and More appeared first on Doc Molly.

Mastering the subjunctive in adverbial phrases (and adverbial clauses) is one of the biggest milestones in achieving Spanish fluency. Adverbial clauses modify the main verb by telling us how, why, when, or under what conditions an action happens.

In this quick review and quiz, we break down the essential rules of when to use the subjunctive mood versus the indicative mood in adverbial expressions.

Some adverbial phrases introduce a condition, purpose, or hypothetical situation that hasn’t happened yet. These conjunctions always require the subjunctive mood when followed by a new subject and a conjugated verb.

En caso de que (In case)

Example: Llevaré mi paraguas en caso de que llueva.
(I will bring my umbrella in case it rains.)

Con tal (de) que (As long as / Provided that)

Example: Te ayudaré con tal de que me acompañes al teatro esta noche.
(I will help you as long as you come with me to the theater tonight.)

Para que / A fin de que (So that / In order that)

Example: Voy a enseñárselo a Miguel para que me crea.
(I am going to show it to Miguel so that he believes me.)

Example: Ellos crearon este grupo a fin de que tuviéramos un lugar seguro para hablar.
(They created this group so that we would have a safe place to talk.)

Sin que (Without)

Example: No puedo hacerlo sin que me tiemblen las manos.
(I cannot do it without my hands trembling.)

Grammar Tip: When the subject of the sentence does not change, drop the “que” and use the infinitive instead of the subjunctive.

Unlike the others, a menos que (unless) almost always requires the subjunctive mood, even if the subject remains the same.

Example: No puedes participar a menos que sigas las reglas. (You cannot participate unless you follow the rules.)

Temporal conjunctions (like cuando, en cuanto, and siempre que) are flexible. You must choose between the subjunctive or indicative based on the timeline of the action:

Antes de que (Always requires subjunctive):
Preparé la comida antes de que llegaran.
(I prepared the meal before they arrived.)

Cuando (Future/Pending → Subjunctive):
Llámame cuando estés lista.
(Call me when you’re ready.)

Cuando (Habitual → Indicative):
El niño siempre llora cuando el perro ladra.
(The baby always cries when the dog barks.)

En cuanto (Future command → Subjunctive):
Ustedes levántense en cuanto suene la alarma.
(Get up as soon as the alarm clock goes off.)

Siempre que (Habitual → Indicative):
La visito siempre que tengo la oportunidad.
(I visit her whenever I have the chance.)

Siempre que (Future condition → Subjunctive):
Ponte bloqueador siempre que salgas al sol.
(Put on sunscreen every time you go out in the sun.)

Just like time clauses, phrases introducing how (conjunctions like aunque) or where (donde) change meaning depending on reality versus hypothetical situations.

Aunque + Indicative (Even though it’s a known fact):
Aunque tiene el dinero, no va a comprar la casa.
(Although she has the money, she’s not going to buy the house.)

Aunque + Subjunctive (Even if it’s hypothetical/contrary to fact):
Aunque tuviera el dinero, no podría comprar la casa.
(Even if she had the money, she couldn’t buy the house.)

Donde + Indicative (A specific, known place):
Vamos donde tú quieres.
(Let’s go to the specific place where you want to go.)

Donde + Subjunctive (Anywhere / Unknown place):
Vamos donde tú quieras.
(Let’s go wherever you want to go.)

Put your skills to the test with our comprehensive Spanish grammar quizzes!

This lesson is a quiz that reviews the use of the subjunctive in adjective clauses covered in the last two lessons.

A subordinate adjective clause describes a noun or pronoun in the main clause of a sentence. When it describes something KNOWN AND SPECIFIC, we use the INDICATIVE. When the subordinate adjective clause describes something NOT YET IDENTIFIED, which may or may not exist, we use the SUBJUNCTIVE.

Conozco a un chico que vive en Santiago.
(I know a boy who lives in Santiago.)
– que vive en Santiago

No conozco a nadie que viva en Santiago.
(I don’t know anyone who lives in Santiago.)
– que viva en Santiago

¿Sabes de alguien que DÉ clases de español por Skype? SUBJUNTIVO
(Do you know of anyone who gives Spanish lessons by Skype?)

Sí. Conozco a alguien que DA clases de español por Skype. INDICATIVO
(Yes. I know someone who gives Spanish lessons by Skype.)

Necesitamos a alguien que TENGA mucha paciente. SUBJUNTIVO
(We need someone who has a lot of patience.)

No hay nada en la carta que me APETEZCA. SUBJUNTIVO
(There’s nothing on the menu that looks good to me.)

Vivo en un lugar que HACE mucho frío. INDICATIVO
(I live in a place that is very cold.)

Deseaba estudiantes que HICIERAN/HICIESEN su tarea. SUBJUNTIVO
(I wanted students that did their homework.)

Nunca nos ofrecen nada que nos GUSTE. SUBJUNTIVO
They never offer us anything that we like.

¿Recuerdas esa casa que te ENSEÑÉ? INDICATIVO
(Do you remember that house that I showed you?)

Buscamos una casa que ESTÉ cerca del centro. SUBJUNTIVO
(We are looking for a house that is close to downtown.)

Gracias por escuchar.

Check out more free podcasts in the Subjunctive series here.
Premium members: Access the premium series here.

Do you know when to use the subjunctive in noun clauses? If you find yourself guessing between the subjunctive and the indicative mood, you’ve come to the right place.

Mastering this grammar rule is essential for achieving true fluency in Spanish. Below, we’ll break down exactly how to identify a noun clause and the three simple rules to determine when it requires the subjunctive mood.

A subordinate noun clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a conjugated verb, typically introduced by the conjunction que (that). Just like a standard noun, a noun clause answers the question “What?” and can act as either the subject or the direct object of the main sentence.

Let’s look at three examples to identify the noun clause:

We use the subjunctive in noun clauses when the main clause triggers a shift away from objective reality. If the main clause doesn’t fit one of these categories, we use the indicative mood to state facts.

There are 3 primary triggers for the subjunctive in a subordinate noun clause:

When the main clause expresses a desire, hope, order, or need to influence someone else’s actions, the noun clause triggers the subjunctive.

Example: Necesito que asistas a clase. (I need you to attend class.)

When the main clause describes an emotional response, feeling, or a subjective opinion about the action in the noun clause, you must use the subjunctive.

Example: Me enfada que ellos fumen en casa. (It angers me that they smoke in the house.)

When the main clause implies that the speaker doubts, denies, or is unsure about the reality of the statement, the subjunctive mood is required.

Example: No estoy segura que puedan ir. (I’m not sure they can go.)

Put your knowledge to the test! Practice choosing the right verb forms based on the triggers we discussed above. Review the main clause trigger, the English meaning, and the correct Spanish structure below:

1. Es probable (Uncertainty)
English: It will likely rain this afternoon.
Spanish: Es probable que llueva esta tarde.

2. Necesito (Influence)
English: I need you to come with me.
Spanish: Necesito que me acompañes.

3. Deseo (Influence)
English: I want you to visit me in Italy.
Spanish: Deseo que me visites en Italia.

4. *Deseo (Same Subject)
English: I want to live in Italy.
Spanish: Deseo vivir en Italia. (Infinitive)

5. Es cierto (Certainty)
English: It’s true that I work here.
Spanish: Es cierto que trabajo aquí. (Indicative)

6. Es importante (Value Judgment)
English: It’s important that you keep still.
Spanish: Es importante que te quedes quieto/a.

7. No era posible (Uncertainty/Past)
English: It wasn’t possible for her to continue working.
Spanish: No era posible que siguiera / siguiese trabajando.

8. Me molestó (Emotion/Past)
English: It bothered me that they hadn’t studied for the test.
Spanish: Me molestó que no hubieran / hubiesen estudiado para el examen.

9. Te ruego (Influence)
English: I beg you to stop.
Spanish: Te ruego que pares.

10. Tengo miedo (Emotion)
English: I’m afraid that they can hear us.
Spanish: Tengo miedo que nos puedan oír.

11. Me temo (Fact/Belief)
English: I’m afraid there are no rooms available.
Spanish: Me temo que no hay habitaciones disponibles. (Indicative)

12. Más vale (Value Judgment)
English: You better tell the truth.
Spanish: Más vale que digas la verdad.

13. Dudaba (Doubt/Past)
English: I doubted that we could do it.
Spanish: Dudaba que pudiéramos hacerlo.

*Grammar Tip: Notice that verbs of emotion and doubt can sometimes trigger the subjunctive even if the subject remains the same (e.g., Dudaba que pudiera hacerlo OR Dudaba poder hacerlo), unlike expressions of influence which collapse into an infinitive verb when the subject doesn’t change.

Take another audio quiz on the subjunctive! 

Ready to move beyond the basics and feel completely confident using complex grammar structures in conversation? We cover these concepts in deep, clinical, and conversational contexts in our premium audio course series.

Gain access to all our premium audio lessons, comprehensive study guides, and interactive practice tools specifically designed for heathcare professionals and dedicated language learners. 

Become a member today! 

Mastering how to conjugate the Spanish subjunctive can feel overwhelming, but breaking it down by tense and practicing with audio is one of the fastest ways to build your confidence.

In this interactive audio quiz, we review the fundamental conjugation patterns for the Spanish subjunctive across its four primary tenses.

This lesson corresponds to Module 1 of our comprehensive Subjunctive Course. Listen to the audio track below to test your ability to recognize and form the correct subjunctive tense for each clinical or everyday scenario:

Play the audio below. In each example, listen to the sentence structure, pause, and choose the correct tense of the subjunctive before the answer is revealed.

Review the sentences from today’s audio lesson to practice how to conjugate the subjunctive in Spanish:

SACAR
It was important that we got good grades.
Era importante que __________ buenas notas.
Answer: (sacáramos / sacásemos)

DECIR
We insist that you tell him the truth.
Insistimos en que le __________ la verdad.
Answer: (digas)

RESOLVER
They don’t think we have solved the problem.
No creen que __________ el problema.
Answer: (hayamos resuelto)

IR
I was hoping he had gone to bed.
Esperaba que __________ a la cama.
Answer: (se hubiera / hubiese ido)

SER
I doubt it was us.
Dudo que __________ nosotros.
Answer: (fuéramos / fuésemos)

TERMINAR
I doubt he’ll have finished it by tomorrow.
Dudo que lo __________ para mañana.
Answer: (haya terminado)

CALLARSE
I told you to be quiet.
Te dije que __________.
Answer: (te callaras / te callases)

PAGAR
They are asking us to pay.
Nos piden que __________.
Answer: (paguemos)

LLEGAR
We would have gone out if they had arrived earlier.
Habríamos salido si ________ antes.
Answer: (hubieran / hubiesen llegado)

ELEGIR
We are glad that you have chosen us.
Nos alegramos de que ustedes nos __________ .
Answer: (hayan elegido)

DARSE PRISA
Tell them to hurry up.
Diles que __________ prisa.
Answer: (se den prisa)

Take Your Learning Further: Want to truly master how to conjugate the subjunctive in Spanish? Premium members get access to full show notes, complete transcriptions, interactive Quizlet sets, and downloadable study PDFs within our Subjunctive Course.

Try another audio quiz on the subjunctive! 

Check out all our free Spanish Grammar audio lessons. 

Learn the different uses of the Spanish verb ACABAR. In this audio lesson, we practice using ACABAR in different grammatical constructs to mean different things — from "to have just done something" to "to run out of" to "to end up doing something."

Already a member? Access the Spanish Verb module in our Spanish Grammar course!

 Become a premium member and access all our interactive courses, each with audio exercises, downloadable PDF notes, and a test to reinforce what you've learned.

Gracias por escuchar. Thanks for listening.

For the full lesson notes, visit The Spanish Verb – ACABAR on docmolly.com.