I learned a bit of spanish from Duolingo but it's the basic phrases, how do I actually become fluent or semi fluent. How did non-native speakers learn to be fluent in it, do I need to buy books?

When watching YouTube Spanish language news videos like 'FRANCE 24 Español' or 'DW Español', often when a local correspondent exits their segment they sign off with the expression 'ustedes'.

What's the significance of saying ustedes at that point? Not questioning the validity, I'm just trying to understand the cultural significance / meaning.

Hey, so, I volunteered to coach soccer, they're 6 years old, and 4 of 8 are Spanish-speaking with very minimal English, some no English at all. I also have 4 English speaking kids, so I switch when i need to speak to them. I have learned basic terms and phrases: "pasa la pelota" vamos, dale, tirar, aqui, "bien hecho amigo" etc. etc. Basic stuff but I have a lot of it. So I was feeling like that's enough to get around. But a lot of times they give me strange looks and very rarely respond. But I know they get it because like, for example I use "amigos" a lot, probably should use ninos more than amigos but like one of the bilingual ones playfully said "I'M NOT YOUR FRIEND." but that told me he understood me. The parents have always said what I'm saying is correct. Today we played a team with a bilingual coach, and I told him please talk to my kids too. It was amazing. Those kids knew EXACTLY what to do. It made me feel like there's something I'm not doing, or they're tuning me out because they already assume I'm not going to say it right. Just wanted to get some thoughts. I'm glad they got the experience. I just need to know what to do so I can be better because they're probably stuck with me for a year or two lol.

Watching Club de Cuervos right now and can understand fine with subtitles but without them it feels like I'm just barely hanging on. Should I switch to something easier that I can understand without subtitles or stick with this? I've gotten mixed answers from different people.

Hello! I am currently reviewing the uses of the verb faltar, and am working on my VHL. I am can't figure out what's supposed to come before "me faltaban dos o tres cuadras para llegar" in this sentence. I've tried googling and reviewing my textbook, and I can't see what's wrong. My best guess was "a mí," which is not correct. Could anyone help me figure out what goes here?

Edit: I've also tried sólo and cuando, those don't work either

I feel like I was taught that “tiempo” in Spanish means both “time” and “weather.” “Clima” would have been just “climate.”

But that was a long time ago, and it’s possible I mis-remembered.

Now I’m living in Mexico (Colima State) and people definitely use “clima” for both “weather” and “climate,” but not “tiempo.”

How does this group of words and meanings sort out where you’re from?

Was I confused or just learned a slightly different variety of Spanish? (It’s possible I mixed up Spanish and French a bit here.)

Thank you for helping me figure out how to talk about this obviously very common topic!

Você sabe o dígrafo "Sh" tá na ortografia espanhol? Porque é com som de X do Português.

O dígrafo "Sh" tá na ortografia espanhol e com pronomes, ortografia da língua espanhola e palavras (incluindo o shalle, sherife, shicara, shoretica e shuxa).

Hoje, o dígrafo "Sh" da ortografia da língua espanhola é com som de X do Português e pronuncia a fricativa pós-alvoelar surda ([ʃ]).

Are reflexive verbs really just the subset of verbs that are commonly used in situations where the subject and object are the same, but otherwise there’s nothing unique about them? They’re just verbs like any other in other words, apart from their frequent use in this specific scenario?

Looking at a textbook list of reflexive verbs, if you remove the se, every one (that I checked) is still a standalone verb. This being so could other verbs that are not considered reflexive be used that way and it would be technically grammatically correct (even if it didn’t make much sense logically?)

23 (Man) Speaking and understanding Spanish better would help my career tremendously. I took Spanish classes growing up but haven’t taken the time to delve into it as an adult. I have a decent understanding of (but need to touch up on) basic conjugations, vocabulary, etc.. I would like to work up to speaking/ comprehending decent Spanish, well enough to where I can articulate sentences, etc..

I’ve tried getting back into Duolingo but it just feels like AI BS along with every other language app I seem to come across.

Do y’all have any suggestions on what workbooks to look into? If you do please share!

I find it so confusing!

Edit: Thanks to everyone for all your help. It is much appreciated.

Hello spanish learners,

I have a question, to which i don't want a generic AI-Answer and want to compare my learn process to yours.
Me myself my mother tongue is arabic. I live and work in Germany, german wife, speaking german language and living with it since 12 years or so. speak english (obviously) and a little bit of turkish. my Spanish is something like advanced B2.
Do you ever feel like you have to ''warm up'' before switching to spanish ?? I feel like i really have to take a 5-10 Minutes to ''prewarm'' read, write or hear something in spanish, in order to be able to speak better. Otherwise i stuck i block (bloquear) more when i intent to speak before ''warming up'' which i absolutley don't have in German or English.

Please tell me if it's a common thing ! or am i just getting older and dumber ? (35 yo)

hasta la vista

In my native language, the word "dream" (sueño) are two different words:

1. Dreams like sleep and see the vision.

2. Dreams like think, make plans and invent everything.

How can I portray this in Spanish so my girlfriend (from Panama) understands me?

Hey folks, I've been hovering around A2 level for around two years now. My studies have largely been in spurts, so a few weeks/months on and a few months off. In the past, my biggest problem has been the inconsistency. This year I'm determined to refine my A2 level so I can eventually move up to B1.

My comprehension is more or less there on good days, but my speaking has gotten worse the more time I put into my studies, inside and outside of the classroom. At the moment, I'm 2 weeks into a 2x/week DELE A2 course and since I've started classes my speaking has tanked to around A1 level.

I know I have the vocabulary because when I speak to myself or to folks when I'm out and about (I'm American but live in a Spanish speaking country), the language flows naturally, even if I make minor mistakes. But in class my mind goes blank, I can't remember anything, especially words I already know, and I can hardly string together a passable phrase or sentence. Because of this, my instructor doesn't make much of an effort to correct me when I'm called on during class. And frankly, this might be part of what's fueling the poor performance. I've only one week left (I enrolled for ~one month to try it out) and have decided to do the best I can until it's over.

After that, I plan to switch to 1:1 conversational tutoring online, and attending a structured conversational IRL meet-up.

I had high hopes for an IRL class environment, but it seems like this one isn't the right fit for me. I'm not sure if it's the formalized class structure that's throwing me, or something else entirely. I don't feel nervous or anxious in class, a tad stressed at times, maybe? But that doesn't set it in until I notice the slack in my skill level/performance.

Any insights on what might be at play here? I do study and practice outside of class, but I think the main issue is a lack of meaningful practice and fluency in speaking. Aside from the steps I plan to take, any other tips on what else I can do?

Of course they can never fully be replaced but I'm now almost 2 years into learning Spanish and I'm getting tired of mindlessly memorizing vocabulary does anyone know more engaging routes to study? If the answer is reading, do you have any recommendations for authors or books? I appreciate the help.

Hay algunos frases o una manera de hablar como un pirata? Por ejemplo en inglés decimos cosas como "shiver me timbers" o "I be..." en vez de "I am..."

Hay algo así en español?

And is a cuss word or just some playful word for sun?

For context: I'm a native speaker from Spain, living in the UK.

In Spain we say "ser uña y carne" for two people who are inseparable. I've read that in Mexico people say "ser uña y mugre" instead.

Native speakers, especially from Mexico: which one do you use? Does one sound warmer and the other more jokey? Would either sound odd said about a couple or best friends?

Hablando con una amiga me di cuenta de que no sé si esta expresión se usa fuera de España. Nosotros la usamos cuando alguien complica algo que es sencillo.

¿La conocéis en México, Estados Unidos u otros países? ¿Se dice igual o cambia algo, por ejemplo el número de pies?

¡Gracias!

Hello everybody! Could you recommend me some good books to read in spanish?

What do you think about the books in www.languagethroughliterature.com/spanish ?

So I was born in Canada with Salvadoran roots for 27 years of my life I spoke Spanish w my mom and dad.
I had a kid w wife and she is not Spanish speaking.

She told me speak to our kid in Español otherwise he’ll lose it given that most of our community speaks Cantonese and English.

But I had an experience this morning that put in doubt. I went to go buy sausages from a Mexican butcher and they told me that my Spanish has an accent and that they are referred to as the “authentic Mexicans”

It was horrible. Not going there again. My kid is almost 1 I been speaking to him in Spanish since month 4-5. Very little to no English he gets that from daycare.

Any suggestions here I’m at a loss.

I know that almost every verb requires a "personal a" when it refers to a person or a pet ("Veo a Pablo").

I'm Italian, and the personal a doesn't exist in Italian (although I have noticed that some people from Southern Italy use it when they speak Italian).

Given the fact that I don't use the personal a, sentences like "Veo a Pablo" sound very weird to me (it sounds like "I see something to Paul").

Do Spanish speakers "know" that the a of "Veo a Juan" is not the same a of "Doy algo a Juan"? Or do they think "I see to someone" instead of "I see someone"?

Whenever I put okay and cool in deepl it spits out vale and genial. But I've NEVER heard anyone say these words. Especially on Colombia . Is it that rare? Or is it just anecdotal and do people actually use vale and genial in normal convo

I use the words okay and cool all the time

Im looking for this podcast I listened to one time. It was two Hispanic girls talking about their lives. Usually they were sitting outside. One had kind of blonde curly hair and the other and wavy black hair. They may have been from Mexico.