Imperfect vs Preterite


Ser vs Estar

Ser vs Estar both mean “to be.” How
do you know which verb to use? Here’s how:


Saber vs Conocer

Saber vs Conocer both mean “to
know.” Both saber and conocer have
irregular “Yo” forms in the present
tense. How do you form the present
tense of saber and conocer and use
them correctly?

Here’s how:


Por vs Para

In many cases both por and para can
mean “for” in English and cause quite a
bit of confusion for non-native Spanish
speakers. … In Spanish, both por and
para take on the responsibilities of not
only “for,” but also by, on, through, be
cause of, in exchange for, in order to,
and several other prepositions.

Here’s how:


Don Quixote Miguel Cervantes

The son of a deaf surgeon, Miguel de Cervantes was born near Madrid in 1547. He became a soldier in 1570 and was badly wounded in the Battle of Lepanto. Captured by the Turks in 1575, de Cervantes spent five years in prison. He was freed in 1580 and returned home. De Cervantes finally achieved literary success in his later years, publishing the first part of Don Quixote in 1605. He died in 1616.