Emociones y sentimientos
Topic-driven lesson: emotion vocabulary. Grammar highlight: Spanish talks about feelings via estar + adjective (current state) or me da/me pone + noun (like gustar). Plus a set of verbs for 'to become' (ponerse triste, volverse loco) that show change.
Estar + adjective — current state
estar contento = to be happy/content. estar triste = to be sad. estar feliz = to be happy. estar cansado = to be tired. estar enfadado / enojado = to be angry. estar nervioso = to be nervous. estar tranquilo = to be calm. estar asustado = to be scared. estar aburrido = to be bored. WATCH THE TRAP: ser aburrido = to be boring (personality); estar aburrido = to be bored right now. Same with listo: ser listo (smart) / estar listo (ready).
Tener + noun — for physical sensations
tener miedo (to be afraid), tener hambre (hungry), tener sed (thirsty), tener sueño (sleepy), tener frío (cold), tener calor (hot), tener prisa (in a hurry), tener vergüenza (embarrassed), tener celos (jealous). Tengo miedo = I'm afraid. ¿Tienes hambre? = are you hungry? In English we use 'I am' for these; Spanish uses 'I have'.
Dar + noun — 'causes a feeling'
Construction like gustar: dar miedo (to scare), dar pena (to make you feel sorry), dar igual (not to matter), dar vergüenza (to embarrass). Me da miedo el avión = the plane scares me (literally 'the plane gives me fear'). Me da igual = I don't care. ¿Te da vergüenza hablar? = does it embarrass you to speak?
Verbs for 'to become'
Spanish has no single 'to become' verb — it has several, each with a flavor. ponerse + adjective = temporary emotional change. Me pongo triste cuando llueve = I get sad when it rains. Se puso rojo = he turned red. volverse + adjective = more radical, often negative. Se volvió loco = he went crazy. hacerse + adj./noun = gradual becoming, often with effort. Se hizo médico = he became a doctor.
Sentirse — to feel
Reflexive verb with e→ie: me siento, te sientes, se siente, nos sentimos, os sentís, se sienten. + adjective (agrees with the subject). Me siento bien / mal / cansado / feliz. Ella se siente sola = she feels lonely. Alternative to estar for emotional states — sounds a bit deeper.
How English maps to Spanish
English 'I'm sad' could be: estoy triste (I'm sad) or me pone triste (something makes me sad) or me siento triste (I feel sad). 'I'm scared' → tengo miedo or me da miedo. 'I'm bored' → estoy aburrido or me aburre. Don't try to translate word-for-word — pick the right pattern.
