u/pickly_pear

Mi cielo is my sky. Mi alma is my soul. Mi lucero is my bright star. Mi tesoro is my treasure. And mi media naranja, the way you say someone is your other half, literally means my half orange.

The everyday ones: mi vida, mi cielo, mi amor, mi corazón, cariño
Add -ito and it softens: amorcito, corazoncito, osito, ratoncito, chiquita
Royalty: mi reina, mi rey, mi princesa

Mi media naranja is still my favorite. Two halves of the same orange.

What do you call your loved ones?

Mi cielo is my sky. Mi alma is my soul. Mi lucero is my bright star. Mi tesoro is my treasure. And mi media naranja, the way you say someone is your other half, literally means my half orange.

The everyday ones: mi vida, mi cielo, mi amor, mi corazón, cariño
Add -ito and it softens: amorcito, corazoncito, osito, ratoncito, chiquita
Royalty: mi reina, mi rey, mi princesa

Mi media naranja is still my favorite. Two halves of the same orange.

What do you call your loved ones?

Mi cielo is my sky. Mi alma is my soul. Mi lucero is my bright star. Mi tesoro is my treasure. And mi media naranja, the way you say someone is your other half, literally means my half orange.

The everyday ones: mi vida, mi cielo, mi amor, mi corazón, cariño
Add -ito and it softens: amorcito, corazoncito, osito, ratoncito, chiquita
Royalty: mi reina, mi rey, mi princesa

Mi media naranja is still my favorite. Two halves of the same orange.

What do you call your loved ones?

¿Podrías? for a small favor. ¿Te importaría? when it might be an imposition. ¿Sabes si? when you just need information. ¿Me echas una mano? when you need real help.

No singular at all:
las ganas, las afueras, los alrededores, los víveres, los escombros, las cosquillas

Singular exists but means something else:
los celos = jealousy, but el celo means zeal or an animal in heat
los deberes = homework, but el deber means duty
las esposas = handcuffs, but la esposa is a wife

Just usually plural:
las vacaciones, los modales, las gafas, las tijeras, los pantalones. Un pantalón and una tijera are both fine in a lot of places.

That last group is where English does the same thing, since we say scissors and pants without thinking about it.

No singular at all:
las ganas, las afueras, los alrededores, los víveres, los escombros, las cosquillas

Singular exists but means something else:
los celos = jealousy, but el celo means zeal or an animal in heat
los deberes = homework, but el deber means duty
las esposas = handcuffs, but la esposa is a wife

Just usually plural:
las vacaciones, los modales, las gafas, las tijeras, los pantalones. Un pantalón and una tijera are both fine in a lot of places.

That last group is where English does the same thing, since we say scissors and pants without thinking about it.

Que descanses = rest well
Que duermas bien = sleep well
Que sueñes bonito = sweet dreams (literally: dream prettily)

Once you see it, you can build your own. Que te vaya bien, que tengas buen día, que lo pases bien all work the same way.

A few that don't use the structure but are worth knowing:
Hasta mañana = see you tomorrow
Mañana te escribo = I'll text you tomorrow
Gracias por hoy = thanks for today

One verb can paint a whole picture!

There's a verb for getting up very early (madrugar). A verb for staying up all night (trasnochar). A verb for lying awake over something (desvelarse). A word for the hour you spend talking at the table after the meal ends (sobremesa). A verb for something being so sweet it makes you a little sick (empalagar).

Fourteen here

One verb can paint a whole picture!

There's a verb for getting up very early (madrugar). A verb for staying up all night (trasnochar). A verb for lying awake over something (desvelarse). A word for the hour you spend talking at the table after the meal ends (sobremesa). A verb for something being so sweet it makes you a little sick (empalagar).

Fourteen here

Muy + adjective or adverb:
muy cansado, muy bien, muy rápido, muy caro, muy tarde, muy temprano, muy fácil

Verb + mucho, or mucho + noun:
trabajo mucho, come mucho, llueve mucho, mucha gente, muchos años, mucho tiempo, muchas cosas

Three details that clean up the rest:

Muy never changes form. Muy cansado, muy cansada, muy cansados. Mucho agrees with what it's counting: mucho, mucha, muchos, muchas.

Muy never stands alone. ¿Te gustó? Sí, mucho.

Comparatives take mucho, not muy. Mucho mejor, mucho peor, mucho más.

The classic mistake is muy hambre. Hunger is something you have, not something you are, so it's tengo mucha hambre. Same with sed, sueño, miedo, frío.

Answering varies by region: ¿aló? in much of Latin America, ¿bueno? in Mexico, ¿diga? or ¿dígame? in Spain.

The rest:
¿Está María? = is María there
¿De parte de quién? = who's calling (what they'll ask you)
De parte de Reed = it's Reed
¿Puedo dejar un mensaje? = can I leave a message
Te llamo por lo de... = I'm calling about

When it goes badly:
No te escucho bien = can't hear you well
Se cortó = the call dropped
Se está entrecortando = you're cutting out
Creo que te equivocaste de número = wrong number

Ending it:
Te llamo luego = I'll call you later
Te dejo = I'll let you go
Cualquier cosa me avisas = let me know if anything comes up

Te dejo is the one worth learning.

Answering varies by region: ¿aló? in much of Latin America, ¿bueno? in Mexico, ¿diga? or ¿dígame? in Spain.

The rest:
¿Está María? = is María there
¿De parte de quién? = who's calling (what they'll ask you)
De parte de Reed = it's Reed
¿Puedo dejar un mensaje? = can I leave a message
Te llamo por lo de... = I'm calling about

When it goes badly:
No te escucho bien = can't hear you well
Se cortó = the call dropped
Se está entrecortando = you're cutting out
Creo que te equivocaste de número = wrong number

Ending it:
Te llamo luego = I'll call you later
Te dejo = I'll let you go
Cualquier cosa me avisas = let me know if anything comes up

Te dejo is the one worth learning.

Answering varies by region: ¿aló? in much of Latin America, ¿bueno? in Mexico, ¿diga? or ¿dígame? in Spain.

The rest:
¿Está María? = is María there
¿De parte de quién? = who's calling (what they'll ask you)
De parte de Reed = it's Reed
¿Puedo dejar un mensaje? = can I leave a message
Te llamo por lo de... = I'm calling about

When it goes badly:
No te escucho bien = can't hear you well
Se cortó = the call dropped
Se está entrecortando = you're cutting out
Creo que te equivocaste de número = wrong number

Ending it:
Te llamo luego = I'll call you later
Te dejo = I'll let you go
Cualquier cosa me avisas = let me know if anything comes up

Te dejo is the one worth learning.

Answering varies by region: ¿aló? in much of Latin America, ¿bueno? in Mexico, ¿diga? or ¿dígame? in Spain.

The rest:
¿Está María? = is María there
¿De parte de quién? = who's calling (what they'll ask you)
De parte de Reed = it's Reed
¿Puedo dejar un mensaje? = can I leave a message
Te llamo por lo de... = I'm calling about

When it goes badly:
No te escucho bien = can't hear you well
Se cortó = the call dropped
Se está entrecortando = you're cutting out
Creo que te equivocaste de número = wrong number

Ending it:
Te llamo luego = I'll call you later
Te dejo = I'll let you go
Cualquier cosa me avisas = let me know if anything comes up

Te dejo is the one worth learning.

The ones that land:
Me encantas = I'm really into you
Tienes una sonrisa preciosa = you have a beautiful smile
No dejo de pensar en ti = I can't stop thinking about you
Contigo el tiempo se pasa volando = time flies with you
Me robaste una sonrisa = you stole a smile from me

The pure cheese:
¿Te dolió cuando te caíste del cielo? = did it hurt when you fell from heaven
¿Crees en el amor a primera vista o paso otra vez? = or should I walk by again
Si la belleza fuera delito, tendrías cadena perpetua = if beauty were a crime, you'd get life

Which ones actually work where you learned Spanish, and what did I miss?

The ones that land:
Me encantas = I'm really into you
Tienes una sonrisa preciosa = you have a beautiful smile
No dejo de pensar en ti = I can't stop thinking about you
Contigo el tiempo se pasa volando = time flies with you
Me robaste una sonrisa = you stole a smile from me

The pure cheese:
¿Te dolió cuando te caíste del cielo? = did it hurt when you fell from heaven
¿Crees en el amor a primera vista o paso otra vez? = or should I walk by again
Si la belleza fuera delito, tendrías cadena perpetua = if beauty were a crime, you'd get life

Level 1: Cansado = tired
Level 2: Agotado = exhausted
Level 3: Muerto = dead, completely wiped
Level 4: Hecho polvo = made into dust
Level 5: No doy más = I can't give any more

A few that sit off the ladder:
Estar rendido = worn down, surrendered
Caerse de sueño = falling over with sleepiness
No pegar ojo = to not sleep a wink

Hecho polvo is the one worth stealing. You're not tired, you have been reduced to dust.

Level 1: Cansado = tired
Level 2: Agotado = exhausted
Level 3: Muerto = dead, completely wiped
Level 4: Hecho polvo = made into dust
Level 5: No doy más = I can't give any more

A few that sit off the ladder:
Estar rendido = worn down, surrendered
Caerse de sueño = falling over with sleepiness
No pegar ojo = to not sleep a wink

Hecho polvo is the one worth stealing. You're not tired, you have been reduced to dust.

Level 1: Cansado = tired
Level 2: Agotado = exhausted
Level 3: Muerto = dead, completely wiped
Level 4: Hecho polvo = made into dust
Level 5: No doy más = I can't give any more

A few that sit off the ladder:
Estar rendido = worn down, surrendered
Caerse de sueño = falling over with sleepiness
No pegar ojo = to not sleep a wink

Hecho polvo is the one worth stealing. You're not tired, you have been reduced to dust.