THREE SMALL LESSONS IN SPANISH

Yesterday, someone who knows no English congratulated me on my mastery of the language. I have also been told that my Spanish is good. I take these compliments with a grain of salt, since they come from unqualified experts.

The question of language proficiency is one I often ponder. The study of a language is a lifelong endeavor, and there is always something to learn, correct, or improve.

If my reader is studying Spanish, allow me, by way of digression, to offer three pieces of advice:

1. Avoid the passive voice whenever possible.
Do not say David ha sido visto when the more natural Han visto a David will do. Spanish often prefers the active construction where English readily resorts to the passive.

2. Use the progressive form only when it is needed.
Do not say Estoy yendo a casa when Voy a casa expresses the same idea more naturally. The progressive is not a substitute for the simple present.

3. Learn the subjunctive thoroughly—and use it.
Do not automatically translate as far as I know as hasta donde yo sé. In many contexts, the more idiomatic Spanish is que yo sepa. The subjunctive is not an ornamental feature of Spanish grammar; it is an essential part of the language.

These are only three small recommendations, but they may help the learner sound less like a translation and more like a Spanish speaker.