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Regular preterite -AR

Completed past actions take new endings: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron.
  • hablar → hablé, hablaste, habló, hablamos, hablasteis, hablaron
  • Nosotros is IDENTICAL to present (hablamos) — context or time words disambiguate
  • Accents matter: hablé (I spoke) vs hable (subjunctive); habló (he spoke) vs hablo (present)
  • Triggers: ayer, anoche, la semana pasada, el año pasado, una vez

Regular preterite -ER/-IR

Both families share preterite endings: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.
  • comer → comí, comiste, comió, comimos, comisteis, comieron
  • vivir → viví, viviste, vivió, vivimos, vivisteis, vivieron
  • No accents on -IR nosotros: vivimos serves present AND preterite
  • Time markers repeat: anoche comí pizza; la semana pasada vivimos en Madrid

Spelling changes: car/gar/zar

Yo forms need spelling fixes to preserve the sound.
  • -car → -qué: buscar → busqué (c must stay hard before e)
  • -gar → -gué: llegar → llegué (g stays hard)
  • -zar → -cé: empezar → empecé (z becomes c before e)
  • Only YO changes; tú buscaste, él buscó stay normal

Irregular yo: -UIR verbs

Verbs ending in -uir insert a y before é/o in the yo and third persons… actually only in some forms.
  • leer → leí, leíste, leyó, leímos, leyeron (vowel stems add y in ó/ieron forms)
  • oír → oí, oíste, oyó, oímos, oyeron — same y-rule
  • creer → creyó, caer → cayó — watch the accent shift to ó
  • -uir like construir → construí, construyó (y appears in stressed forms)
Hablamós doesn't exist — nosotros hablamos carries NO accent in preterite
Busqué is yo-only: writing busquaste breaks the rule (it's buscaste)
Don't confuse habló (he spoke, accented) with hablo (I speak, present)

Imperfect endings & uses

The ongoing/habitual past: -aba, -abas… and -ía, -ías…
  • -AR: hablaba, hablabas, hablaba, hablábamos, hablabais, hablaban
  • -ER/-IR: comía, comías, comía, comíamos, comíais, comían
  • Uses: habitual actions (Cada día jugaba), descriptions (Hacía sol), age/time in past (Tenía diez años), ongoing action interrupted by another
  • Triggers: siempre, todos los días, cada verano, mientras, generalmente

The snapshot vs movie contrast

Preterite films a completed event; imperfect describes the scene it happened in.
  • Mientras caminaba (movie), vi un accidente (snapshot)
  • Two preterites = two sequential snapshots; preterite+imperfect = event inside backdrop
  • Estaba lloviendo cuando llegamos — weather backdrop + arrival event
  • Interruption pattern is always imperfect (ongoing) + preterite (interruptor)

Meaning-shift verbs

Some verbs change MEANING between the two pasts.
  • saber: supe (found out) vs sabía (knew)
  • querer: quise (tried to) vs quería (wanted); no quise (refused) vs no quería (didn't want)
  • poder: pude (managed to/succeeded) vs podía (was able/had ability)
  • tener: tuve (received/got) vs tenía (had); conocer: conocí (met) vs conocía (knew someone)

Common irregulars

Three fully irregular preterite patterns cover the essentials (imperfect has only three irregulars total).
  • Imperfect irregulars are just THREE: ser (era), ir (iba), ver (veía)
  • Preterite big three: ir/ser identical (fui, fuiste, fue…) — context decides meaning
  • -UVE family: tener→tuve, estar→estuve, andar→anduve; -UDE/USE: poner→puse, hacer→hice
  • hacer third person: hizo (z inserted); dar/ver short: di, vi (no accents!)
Fui means I WENT or I WAS — sentence context tells you which
Conocí a María = I MET her; la conocía = I knew her already
No accents on di/vio/dio — writing 'dió' is a classic misspelling

Tú affirmative commands

Just use third-person present: hablar→habla, comer→come.
  • Positive tú = él/ella form: ¡Come! ¡Escribe! ¡Corre!
  • Irregulars are the eight-letter TVDISH acronym-ish set: ten, ven, di, sal, haz, pon, ve
  • Pronouns attach to the END: ¡Lávate! ¡Dímelo! (add accent when 2+ syllables result)
  • ¡Vamos! works as let's go for everyone

Tú negative & usted forms

Negatives flip into subjunctive territory; usted borrows the yo stem.
  • Negative tú = yo-form stem + opposite vowel: no hables (-AR→e), no comas (-ER→a)
  • Usted/ustedes commands also take that subjunctive shape: hable, coman; escriba, escriban
  • Irregular yo stems carry over: tengo→no tenga; pongo→no ponga; hago→no haga
  • -CAR/-GAR/-ZAR spell-fixes return: no busques, no llegues, no empieces

Ustedes & nosotros commands

Group and let's-commands extend the same pattern.
  • Ustedes: hablen, coman, escriban — same as negative tú minus -s
  • Nosotros 'let's': comamos, escribamos, vayamos (ir is irregular)
  • Let's-go negative: no vayamos; affirmative often swaps to vamos
  • Object pronouns attach to affirmatives: ¡Comamoslo! but No lo comamos

Kitchen & classroom command drills

Commands power recipes and directions — perfect practice contexts.
  • Recipe verbs: añada (add), mezcle (mix), corte (cut), caliente (heat) — usted style
  • Classroom: abran los libros, saquen una hoja, siéntense (sit down)
  • Reflexive negatives keep pronoun in FRONT: No te levantes
  • Affirmative reflexives tack on with accent: Levántate, Siéntense
No hables NOT no habla — negatives abandon the él-form look entirely
Haz/di/sal/ve have NO accents despite being one syllable + s issues… they're just memorized
Levántate needs its accent once pronouns attach — Levantate is misspelled

Direct objects (DOP)

Who/what receives the verb directly: lo, la, los, las.
  • DOPs replace WHAT is acted on: ¿Tienes el libro? → Sí, LO tengo
  • Gender+number agreement with the actual thing: la compra (la manzana), los veo (los zapatos)
  • Placement: BEFORE conjugated verb, ATTACHED to infinitive/gerund/affirmative command
  • Lo quiero comprar = Quiero comprarlo — both correct, meaning identical

Indirect objects (IOP)

To/for whom the action happens: me, te, le, nos, os, les.
  • le/les mean to-him/her/them — le never changes gender
  • Gustar-family verbs ALWAYS use IOP: Le doy un regalo a ella
  • Common gift/giving verbs: dar, decir, escribir, traer, comprar (for)
  • Redundant a-phrases standard: Le escribo a mi abuela cada semana

Both together: IDCL rule

When both pronouns appear, indirect comes first and le/les becomes se.
  • Order: IOP then DOP: Me lo das? = you give it to me?
  • le+lo is FORBIDDEN → se lo: Se lo digo = I say it to him/her/them
  • Se carries NO reflexive meaning here — context says who se refers to
  • Attach both to infinitives: Quiero decírselo

Placement drills

Three legal homes for pronouns; pick per sentence structure.
  • Before conjugated: Lo compro · Attached to infinitive: Voy a comprarlo
  • Attached to gerund with accent: Estoy comprándolo · Affirmative command: Cómpralo
  • Never after a conjugated verb alone: ✗ Compro lo
  • With progressive both work: Lo estoy leyendo / Estoy leyéndolo
Se lo means I gave IT TO HIM — not himself; reflexive se is a different job
Dímelo takes an accent after gluing two pronouns on — Dimelo is misspelled
Don't double-mark with redundant DOP: ✗ Lo compro el libro — either lo or el libro

Reflexive mechanics

The subject acts on itself: se attaches to the infinitive, then conjugates normally.
  • Levantarse → me levanto, te levantas, se levanta, nos levantamos, os levantáis, se levantan
  • Every part agrees: NOS levantamos (not se levantamos for we)
  • Infinitive form keeps se attached: Voy a despertarme temprano
  • Gerund: Estoy bañándome (accent added) or Me estoy bañando

Routine vocabulary

A morning-to-night chain of classic reflexive verbs.
  • despertarse (e→ie) wake up → levantarse get up → ducharse shower
  • afeitarse shave / maquillarse put on makeup / cepillarse los dientes brush teeth
  • vestirse (e→i) get dressed → peinarse comb hair → acostarse (o→ue) go to bed
  • Non-reflexive cousins change meaning: levantar = to lift something; bañar = to bathe someone else

Stem-changers among reflexives

Boot verbs stay boots even with reflexive pronouns attached.
  • despertarse e→ie: me despierto, te despiertas… but nos despertamos
  • vestirse e→i in stressed forms: me visto, se viste; nos vestimos plain
  • acostarse o→ue: me acuesto temprano pero nos acostamos tarde
  • The pronoun never affects the stem — conjugate as if it weren't there

Sequence words & frequency

Narrate your day with connectors and time phrases.
  • primero, luego/entonces, después, más tarde, por último, finalmente
  • por la mañana/tarde/noche frames the routine block
  • siempre/nunca slot before the reflexive: Siempre me ducho a las siete
  • Antes de + inf / después de + inf: Después de cepillarme, desayuno
Me levanto a las siete — don't add 'me' twice or forget it entirely; both errors are fatal
Se baña = he bathes HIMSELF; baña al bebé = bathes the baby — se's presence changes who
Nos levantamos is correct; SE levantamos is the classic beginner mistake

The whole-tense ending trick

Both tenses glue endings onto the WHOLE infinitive — no stem removal.
  • Endings for both: -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án (future) · -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían (conditional)
  • hablar → hablaré, hablarás, hablará… · conditional: hablaría
  • All -AR/-ER/-IR follow identically: comeré, vivirás
  • Accents on future é/ás/á/és? No — only é, ás, á and conditional ías etc. carry them consistently

Irregular stems

About twelve verbs shorten their stems, then take the same endings.
  • caber→cabr-, poner→pondr-, salir→saldr-, tener→tendr-, venir→vendr-
  • poder→podr-, saber→sabr-, haber→habr-, querer→querr-, hacer→har-, decir→dir-
  • valer→valdr- joins the -dr crowd; all keep accents: tendrás, querríamos
  • Hace→haré is the shortest: one syllable!

When each tense appears

Future predicts/promises; conditional hedges, wishes politely, and pairs with past conditions.
  • Future: predictions (Mañana lloverá), promises (Te llamaré), probability guesses (¿Qué hora será?)
  • Conditional: would (Yo iría si…), polite requests (¿Podrías ayudarme?), advice-in-a-dream (Deberías estudiar)
  • Si-clauses: Si tengo tiempo, iré (real); Si tuviera tiempo, iría (hypothetical)
  • Conditional often follows past reporting: Dijo que vendría = said he would come

Probability readings

Future and conditional express conjecture about present and past.
  • ¿Quién será? = I wonder who that is (present guess in future clothes)
  • Serían las diez = it was probably ten (past guess in conditional clothes)
  • No sé dónde estará = I don't know where he could be
  • This 'conjecture' usage is extremely common in native speech
Don't insert an h back into haré or split decir into *deciré correctly is fine but diré is the irregular — memorize dir-
Teneré doesn't exist → tendré (the e drops)
Si + present pairs with FUTURE (Si llueve, me quedaré); putting conditional after si-present is the top error

Forming it

Take the yo present, drop -o, add opposite vowels: e for -AR, a for -ER/-IR.
  • hablo → hable, hables, hable, hablemos, habléis, hablen
  • como → coma, comas…; vivo → viva, vivas…
  • Spelling fixers return: busco→busque, llego→llegue, empiezo→empiece
  • Irregular yo carries over: tengo→tenga, pongo→ponga, conozco→conozca

Fully irregular six

Five plus dar are one-syllable rebels: dé, esté, vaya, sea, sepa, haya.
  • ser → sea; ir → vaya; dar → dé (THE accent matters); estar → esté, estés…
  • saber → sepa; haber → haya (perfect subjunctive helper)
  • These appear constantly — they're worth instant recall
  • dar/dé vs preterite dio: accent is the ONLY difference

WEIRDO triggers

Subjunctive fires when a main verb of influence/emotion/doubt sets up a que-clause.
  • Wishes: querer que, esperar que, desear que — Quiero que estudies
  • Emotions: alegrarse de que, temer que, sentir que — Siento que estés enfermo
  • Impersonal expressions: Es importante que, Es necesario que, Es posible que
  • Doubt/denial: dudar que, no creer que — BUT creer que (affirmative) takes indicative!

Subjunctive vs indicative contrast

Certainty keeps indicative; doubt/wish/influence flips to subjunctive.
  • Creo que viene (belief=indicative) vs NO creo que venga (doubt=subjunctive)
  • Es verdad que llueve vs Es posible que llueva
  • Known facts indicative; unknown/anti-facts subjunctive
  • Same sentence skeleton, mood flips meaning: Busco a alguien QUE habla francés (specific known person) vs que HABLE francés (whoever might exist)
DÉ needs its accent — dé (give subjunctive) vs de (of): two different words
Affirmative creo que/pienso que take INDICATIVE; only negated versions flip to subjunctive
Es importante que estudiES — forgetting the flipped ending (estudia ✗) is error #1

Airport & travel verbs

Getting there: check-in, security, and boarding vocabulary.
  • volar (o→ue) to fly, hacer un viaje to take a trip, reservar to book
  • el vuelo flight, la llegada arrival, la salida departure, el asiento seat
  • Check-in phrases: ¿Su pasaporte, por favor? · Aquí tiene(n) mi pasaporte
  • Preterite storytelling: Volé a Madrid, pasé por seguridad y abordé el avión

Hotel & directions

Settling in and finding your way around town.
  • la habitación/el cuarto room, la llave key, el ascensor elevator, la recepción
  • Quisiera una habitación doble para tres noches — polite booking frame
  • Directions: a la derecha/izquierda, derecho, cerca de, lejos de, en la esquina
  • ¿Dónde está el baño? remains the eternal traveler question (estar for location!)

Health & the pharmacy

Body hurts, remedies, and advice structures.
  • doler conjugates like gustar: Me duele el pie / Me duelen las piernas
  • estar + condition: estar enfermo/a, mareado/a (dizzy), resfriado/a (with a cold)
  • Symptoms: tener fiebre, toser (cough), estornudar (sneeze), sentirse mal
  • Advice: Deberías descansar · Te recomiendo que bebas agua (subjunctive!)

Culture: greetings & customs across the Spanish-speaking world

Register and expectations shift by country — travel-smart culture notes.
  • Spain: vosotros everywhere, dos besos greeting; Mexico/Latin America: ustedes only, one kiss or handshake
  • Tú vs usted defaults differ: Costa Ricans lean usted even with friends (pura vida formality)
  • Meal times shift southward: lunch 2pm in Spain, cena 9pm+; desayuno light almost everywhere
  • Currency words change: pesos (MX/AR/COP), soles (PE), quetzales (GT) — but prices still use ¿Cuánto cuesta?
Me duelen los pies (plural hurt) vs me duele el pie — matching number is the test
¿Dónde está el baño? uses estar — ser here is the classic tourist slip
Dos besos in Spain means cheek-kisses, not two handshakes; context of country matters
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Unit 1: Preterite Introduction

-AR preterite endings
é, aste, ó, amos, asteis, aron — hablar: hablé…
-ER/-IR preterite endings
í, iste, ió, imos, isteis, ieron — shared by both families.
car→qué / gar→gué / zar→cé
Yo-only spelling fixes: busqué, llegué, empecé.
Anoche / ayer
Last night / yesterday — hard preterite triggers.
Leyó / oyó
Leer & oír third persons insert y: le-yó, o-yó.
Hablamos ambiguity
Nosotros preterite = present form; time words decide.
Fui / fuiste / fue…
Preterite of BOTH ir and ser — context decides went vs was.
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Unit 2: Preterite vs Imperfect

Imperfect -AR endings
aba, abas, aba, ábamos, abais, aban — hablaba…
Imperfect -ER/-IR
ía, ías, ía, íamos, íais, ían — comía…
Era / iba / veía
The ONLY three imperfect irregulars (ser, ir, ver).
Mientras + imperfect
Ongoing backdrop action: Mientras caminaba, vi…
Supe vs sabía
Found out vs knew — meaning-shift pair #1.
Pude vs podía
Managed to succeed vs had the ability.
Cada verano jugaba
Habitual past frame — cada + noun signals imperfect.
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Unit 3: Commands

Affirmative tú rule
Just él/ella present: habla, come, escribe.
Irregular tú commands
ven, ten, pon, sal, haz, di, sé, ve.
Negative tú formation
Yo-stem + opposite vowel: no hables, no comas.
Usted command
Same as negative-tú shape: hable, coma, escriba.
No te levantes
Pronoun precedes NEGATIVE commands; attaches to positive.
Haz / di / sal
Do! say! leave! — irregular affirmatives with no accents.
No busques / no llegues / no empieces
car/gar/zar spell-fixes return in negative commands.
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Unit 4: Direct & Indirect Object Pronouns

DOP set
lo, la, los, las — replaces what receives the action.
IOP set
me, te, le, nos, os, les — to/for whom.
Se lo…
le+lo forbidden → se lo (to him/her/them + it).
Decírtelo
Pronouns attach to infinitives with an accent added.
Placement rule of thumb
Before conjugated verbs; attached to infinitives, gerunds, positive commands.
Quiero comprármelo
Two pronouns on an infinitive — accent lands on the stressed vowel.
Le escribo a mi abuela
Redundant a-phrase clarifies the indirect object.
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Unit 5: Reflexives & Daily Routine

Reflexive agreement
Pronoun must match subject: nos levantamos.
Despertarse (e→ie)
me despierto… but nos despertamos — boots stay boots.
Vestirse (e→i)
me visto, se viste; nosotros vestimos.
Después de + infinitive
After DOING: Después de ducharme, desayuno.
Ducharse chain
despertarse → levantarse → ducharse → vestirse → acostarse.
Me estoy bañando / Estoy bañándome
Both legal progressive placements; gerund version adds accent.
Siempre me ducho a las siete
Frequency adverb sits before the reflexive verb.
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Unit 6: Future & Conditional

Future = infinitive + endings
hablaré, comerás, vivirán — nothing removed.
Twelve future stems
tendr-, podr-, saldr-, har-, dir-, querr-, vendr-, pondr-, sabr-, habr-, cabr-, valdr-.
Conditional = would
infinitive + ía endings: yo iría si pudiera.
¿Podrías…?
Polite request formula — could you…?
¿Quién será?
I wonder who that is — future tense as PRESENT probability.
Serían las diez
It was probably ten — conditional as PAST conjecture.
Dijo que vendría
Reported-speech future-backshift: would come.
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Unit 7: Present Subjunctive

Subjunctive recipe
yo-form, drop -o, flip vowel: hable, coma, viva.
Six irregular subjunctives
dé, esté, vaya, sea, sepa, haya.
WEIRDO
Wishes Emotions Impersonal-expressions Recommendations Doubt/Denial + Ojalá → subjunctive.
Creo que (indicative) vs No creo que (subjunctive)
Affirmative belief keeps indicative; negation flips mood.
Busco alguien que hable francés
Unknown/unspecific person → subjunctive in relative clause.
Ojalá (que) llueva
Ojalá always drags subjunctive behind it.
Impersonal frames
Es importante que / Es necesario que / Es posible que + subjunctive.
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Unit 8: Travel, Health & Culture

Me duele(n)
Hurts me — agrees with the body part's number.
La habitación / la llave
Hotel room / key — check-in core pair.
Derecho ≠ derecha
Straight ahead vs the right side — direction trap.
Deberías + infinitive
Should…: Deberías descansar más.
Recomendar que + subj.
Te recomiendo que bebas agua — influence verb.
Toser / estornudar
To cough / to sneeze — symptom pair for sick-day talk.
Estar resfriado/a
To have a cold — estar + condition.
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Unit 1: Preterite Introduction

Regular preterite -AR
Completed past actions take new endings: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron.
Regular preterite -ER/-IR
Both families share preterite endings: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.
Spelling changes: car/gar/zar
Yo forms need spelling fixes to preserve the sound.
Irregular yo: -UIR verbs
Verbs ending in -uir insert a y before é/o in the yo and third persons… actually only in some forms.
Key fact
-AR preterite: é/aste/ó/amos/asteis/aron · -ER/-IR share í/iste/ió/imos/isteis/ieron
Key fact
car→qué, gar→gué, zar→cé — YO ONLY spelling insurance
Key fact
Ayer/anoche/la semana pasada demand preterite

Unit 2: Preterite vs Imperfect

Imperfect endings & uses
The ongoing/habitual past: -aba, -abas… and -ía, -ías…
The snapshot vs movie contrast
Preterite films a completed event; imperfect describes the scene it happened in.
Meaning-shift verbs
Some verbs change MEANING between the two pasts.
Common irregulars
Three fully irregular preterite patterns cover the essentials (imperfect has only three irregulars total).
Key fact
Imperfect triggers: siempre, todos los días, cada año, mientras
Key fact
Preterite triggers: ayer, anoche, de repente, una vez
Key fact
Only THREE imperfect irregulars: era, iba, veía

Unit 3: Commands

Tú affirmative commands
Just use third-person present: hablar→habla, comer→come.
Tú negative & usted forms
Negatives flip into subjunctive territory; usted borrows the yo stem.
Ustedes & nosotros commands
Group and let's-commands extend the same pattern.
Kitchen & classroom command drills
Commands power recipes and directions — perfect practice contexts.
Key fact
Affirmative tú = él form (habla); irregulars: ven, ten, pon, sal, haz, di, ve
Key fact
Negative tú/usted/ustedes all = yo-stem + opposite ending (no hables, no coma)
Key fact
Pronouns glue onto affirmative commands; precede negatives

Unit 4: Direct & Indirect Object Pronouns

Direct objects (DOP)
Who/what receives the verb directly: lo, la, los, las.
Indirect objects (IOP)
To/for whom the action happens: me, te, le, nos, os, les.
Both together: IDCL rule
When both pronouns appear, indirect comes first and le/les becomes se.
Placement drills
Three legal homes for pronouns; pick per sentence structure.
Key fact
DOP lo/la/los/las = it/them (thing acted on); IOP me/te/le/nos/les = to/for someone
Key fact
le/les → SE before lo/la/los/las: Se lo expliqué
Key fact
Pronouns go before conjugated verbs or attach to infinitives/gerunds/commands

Unit 5: Reflexives & Daily Routine

Reflexive mechanics
The subject acts on itself: se attaches to the infinitive, then conjugates normally.
Routine vocabulary
A morning-to-night chain of classic reflexive verbs.
Stem-changers among reflexives
Boot verbs stay boots even with reflexive pronouns attached.
Sequence words & frequency
Narrate your day with connectors and time phrases.
Key fact
Reflexive pronoun must MATCH the subject: nosotros → nos levantamos
Key fact
Stem-changes survive reflexives: me despierto, se viste, se acuesta
Key fact
después de / antes de + INFINITIVE (no conjugation)

Unit 6: Future & Conditional

The whole-tense ending trick
Both tenses glue endings onto the WHOLE infinitive — no stem removal.
Irregular stems
About twelve verbs shorten their stems, then take the same endings.
When each tense appears
Future predicts/promises; conditional hedges, wishes politely, and pairs with past conditions.
Probability readings
Future and conditional express conjecture about present and past.
Key fact
Infinitive + endings — no stems removed: comeré, vivirían
Key fact
Twelve irregular stems: tendr-, saldr-, har-, dir-, querr-, podr-…
Key fact
Conditional = would + polite requests: ¿Podrías…?

Unit 7: Present Subjunctive

Forming it
Take the yo present, drop -o, add opposite vowels: e for -AR, a for -ER/-IR.
Fully irregular six
Five plus dar are one-syllable rebels: dé, esté, vaya, sea, sepa, haya.
WEIRDO triggers
Subjunctive fires when a main verb of influence/emotion/doubt sets up a que-clause.
Subjunctive vs indicative contrast
Certainty keeps indicative; doubt/wish/influence flips to subjunctive.
Key fact
Formation: yo-form minus o + opposite vowel endings
Key fact
Six irregulars: dé, esté, vaya, sea, sepa, haya
Key fact
WEIRDO main verbs + que fire the subjunctive in the second clause

Unit 8: Travel, Health & Culture

Airport & travel verbs
Getting there: check-in, security, and boarding vocabulary.
Hotel & directions
Settling in and finding your way around town.
Health & the pharmacy
Body hurts, remedies, and advice structures.
Culture: greetings & customs across the Spanish-speaking world
Register and expectations shift by country — travel-smart culture notes.
Key fact
Me duele(n) picks singular/plural with the body part that hurts
Key fact
Hotel essentials: la habitación, la llave, el ascensor, la recepción
Key fact
Deberías + infinitive = advice; Te recomiendo que + SUBJUNCTIVE
Common mistakes for each unit — read the mistake, then make sure you know why it's wrong.

Unit 1: Preterite Introduction

Watch out
Hablamós doesn't exist — nosotros hablamos carries NO accent in preterite
Watch out
Busqué is yo-only: writing busquaste breaks the rule (it's buscaste)
Watch out
Don't confuse habló (he spoke, accented) with hablo (I speak, present)

Unit 2: Preterite vs Imperfect

Watch out
Fui means I WENT or I WAS — sentence context tells you which
Watch out
Conocí a María = I MET her; la conocía = I knew her already
Watch out
No accents on di/vio/dio — writing 'dió' is a classic misspelling

Unit 3: Commands

Watch out
No hables NOT no habla — negatives abandon the él-form look entirely
Watch out
Haz/di/sal/ve have NO accents despite being one syllable + s issues… they're just memorized
Watch out
Levántate needs its accent once pronouns attach — Levantate is misspelled

Unit 4: Direct & Indirect Object Pronouns

Watch out
Se lo means I gave IT TO HIM — not himself; reflexive se is a different job
Watch out
Dímelo takes an accent after gluing two pronouns on — Dimelo is misspelled
Watch out
Don't double-mark with redundant DOP: ✗ Lo compro el libro — either lo or el libro

Unit 5: Reflexives & Daily Routine

Watch out
Me levanto a las siete — don't add 'me' twice or forget it entirely; both errors are fatal
Watch out
Se baña = he bathes HIMSELF; baña al bebé = bathes the baby — se's presence changes who
Watch out
Nos levantamos is correct; SE levantamos is the classic beginner mistake

Unit 6: Future & Conditional

Watch out
Don't insert an h back into haré or split decir into *deciré correctly is fine but diré is the irregular — memorize dir-
Watch out
Teneré doesn't exist → tendré (the e drops)
Watch out
Si + present pairs with FUTURE (Si llueve, me quedaré); putting conditional after si-present is the top error

Unit 7: Present Subjunctive

Watch out
DÉ needs its accent — dé (give subjunctive) vs de (of): two different words
Watch out
Affirmative creo que/pienso que take INDICATIVE; only negated versions flip to subjunctive
Watch out
Es importante que estudiES — forgetting the flipped ending (estudia ✗) is error #1

Unit 8: Travel, Health & Culture

Watch out
Me duelen los pies (plural hurt) vs me duele el pie — matching number is the test
Watch out
¿Dónde está el baño? uses estar — ser here is the classic tourist slip
Watch out
Dos besos in Spain means cheek-kisses, not two handshakes; context of country matters