🌦️ First Conversations: Common Spanish Expressions

Your Magic Phrases for Weather, Age, Time & Duration

The Story of the Everyday Explorer

Imagine you’re a little explorer who just landed in Spain. Everyone is friendly, but they keep asking you simple questions about the weather, your age, and how long you’ve been there. What if you had a magic phrase book that helped you answer everything?

That’s what we’re learning today! Four types of everyday expressions that Spanish speakers use all the time. Think of them as your conversation superpowers.

🌤️ Weather Expressions

The Weather is Like a Mood Report

In Spanish, when we talk about weather, we don’t say “it is” like in English. Instead, we use special phrases:

The Magic Formula:

Hace + weather word

Think of “Hace” as a magic wand that turns words into weather reports!

Common Weather Expressions

Special Weather Words (No “Hace” Needed!)

Some weather has its own verbs:

Memory Trick: Rain and snow are so special, they don’t need the magic wand!

graph TD
    A[Weather Talk] --> B[Use HACE]
    A --> C[Special Verbs]
    B --> D[Hace sol]
    B --> E[Hace calor]
    B --> F[Hace frío]
    B --> G[Hace viento]
    C --> H[Llueve]
    C --> I[Nieva]
    C --> J[Está nublado]

🎂 Age Expressions

In Spanish, You “Have” Your Age!

Here’s a funny thing: In English, you say “I am 10 years old.”

But in Spanish? You say “I have 10 years!”

It’s like your years are little treasures you collect in your pocket!

The Magic Formula:

Tener + number + años

How to Say Your Age

Asking Someone’s Age

Example Conversation:

• ¿Cuántos años tienes?
• Tengo ocho años.
• ¡Qué bien! (How nice!)

Remember: Never say “Soy diez años” — that’s like saying “I am ten years” which doesn’t make sense. You HAVE your years!

⏰ Time Expressions with “Hace”

Hace = The Time Travel Word

Remember “Hace” from weather? It has a second superpower: talking about time in the past!

The Magic Formula:

Hace + time + que + action

This tells us how long ago something started (and is still happening).

Examples

The Shortcut Version

You can also put “hace” at the end!

graph TD
    A[HACE for Time] --> B[At the start]
    A --> C[At the end]
    B --> D["Hace 2 horas que estudio"]
    C --> E["Estudio desde hace 2 horas"]
    D --> F[Same meaning!]
    E --> F

Asking “How Long?”

Example:

• ¿Hace cuánto tiempo que aprendes español?
• Hace seis meses que aprendo español. (How long have you been learning Spanish? — For 6 months.)

⏳ Duration Expressions

Measuring Time Like a Pro

Duration expressions help you say how long something takes or lasts.

Key Duration Words

Durante vs Por

Both can mean “for” but:

• Durante = emphasizes the whole period
• Por = more casual, interchangeable

Desde + Hasta = Time Sandwich!

These two work like a time sandwich — one is the START, one is the END.

Example:

Trabajo desde las nueve hasta las cinco. (I work from 9 to 5.)

graph TD
    A[Duration Words] --> B[durante]
    A --> C[por]
    A --> D[desde...hasta]
    B --> E["Durante 2 horas"]
    C --> F["Por 2 horas"]
    D --> G["Desde 8 hasta 10"]

🎯 Quick Comparison Chart

🧠 The Big Picture

Think of these expressions as your conversation toolkit:

1. Weather (Hace) — Report the sky’s mood
2. Age (Tener años) — Share your treasure of years
3. Time with Hace — Connect past to present
4. Duration words — Measure any time period

Now you have the magic phrases to talk about everyday things in Spanish! You’re not just learning words — you’re unlocking the way Spanish speakers think about weather, age, and time.

🌟 Remember This!

“Hace” is your Swiss Army knife — it handles WEATHER and TIME!

“Tener” is for AGE — you HAVE your years like treasures!

“Durante/Por/Desde/Hasta” — your duration squad for measuring any time!

¡Buena suerte, pequeño explorador! (Good luck, little explorer!) 🚀