Key Vocabulary Review (AQA A-Level Spanish): Revision Notes
Key Vocabulary Review
This vocabulary collection focuses on traditional and modern values within Hispanic society, particularly examining family structures, religious traditions, and changing social attitudes. Understanding these terms is essential for discussing how Hispanic cultures balance traditional expectations with contemporary lifestyles.
Families past and present
When discussing generational changes in Hispanic families, you'll need vocabulary that captures both traditional roles and modern perspectives. These terms help you describe family dynamics, responsibilities, and the tensions that can arise between different generations.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el ama de casa (f) | housewife |
| de antaño | in the past |
| atendido | looked after, cared for |
| comprensivo | understanding |
| el conflicto generacional | generational conflict |
| cuidar | to look after, to care for |
| el deber | duty |
| derramar lágrimas | to shed tears |
| discutir | to argue |
| echarse a llorar | to burst into tears |
| educar | to educate, to bring up |
| estar harto de (estoy) | to be fed up with |
| estar obsesionado con (estoy) | to be obsessed with |
| estar ocupado (estoy) | to be busy |
| el/la gemelo/a | twin |
Example sentences:
Antes, el ama de casa se quedaba en el hogar mientras el marido trabajaba. (In the past, the housewife would stay at home whilst the husband worked.)
Mis padres están hartos de mis quejas sobre las tareas domésticas. (My parents are fed up with my complaints about household chores.)
El conflicto generacional surge cuando los hijos quieren más libertad. (Generational conflict arises when children want more freedom.)
Los abuelos están obsesionados con mantener las tradiciones familiares. (The grandparents are obsessed with maintaining family traditions.)
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la guardería | nursery |
| el horario | timetable |
| la libertad | freedom |
| llevarse bien | to get on well |
| montar en cólera | to get angry |
| pelearse | to argue |
| respetar | to respect |
| severo | strict, harsh |
| la sonrisa | smile |
| la tarea | chore |
| volar del nido (vuelo) | to fly the nest |
Example sentences:
Los niños pequeños van a la guardería mientras sus padres trabajan. (Young children go to nursery whilst their parents work.)
Me llevo bien con mis hermanos aunque a veces nos peleamos. (I get on well with my siblings although sometimes we argue.)
Es importante respetar las opiniones de nuestros mayores. (It's important to respect the opinions of our elders.)
Cuando cumplí dieciocho años, volé del nido para ir a la universidad. (When I turned eighteen, I flew the nest to go to university.)
Cultural Context: The concept of volar del nido (flying the nest) occurs later in Hispanic cultures compared to other societies. Many young adults continue living with their parents well into their twenties, often until marriage, reflecting the strong emphasis on family unity and economic practicality.
Catholic religion and celebrations
Hispanic culture maintains strong connections to Catholic traditions, and these celebrations remain important social events. This vocabulary helps you discuss religious practices and cultural festivals.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| adornar | to decorate |
| austero | stripped-down, bare |
| la batalla | battle |
| la calavera | skull |
| celebrarse | to be celebrated |
| el chiste | joke |
| el cementerio | cemetery, graveyard |
| el clavel | carnation |
| la cruz | cross |
| decorar | to decorate |
| el/la difunto/a | deceased |
| la festividad | festival, celebration |
| la lápida | tombstone |
| llamativo | flashy, showy |
Example sentences:
El Día de los Muertos se celebra en México cada año el dos de noviembre. (The Day of the Dead is celebrated in Mexico every year on the second of November.)
Las familias adornan las tumbas de sus difuntos con flores y velas. (Families decorate the graves of their deceased with flowers and candles.)
La festividad incluye música, comida y reuniones familiares en el cementerio. (The celebration includes music, food and family gatherings at the cemetery.)
Religious Traditions: El Día de los Muertos blends Catholic beliefs with indigenous traditions, demonstrating how Hispanic cultures have integrated different cultural influences. Rather than being somber, this celebration is often joyful, with families honoring their deceased loved ones through colorful decorations, favorite foods, and shared memories.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la monja | nun |
| el origen | origin |
| recordar (recuerdo) | to remember, to recall |
| la Resurrección | Resurrection |
| recibir | to receive |
| el significado | meaning |
| el símbolo | symbol |
| valorar | to value |
| la vela | candle |
Example sentences:
La Resurrección de Cristo se celebra en Semana Santa. (Christ's Resurrection is celebrated during Holy Week.)
Es importante recordar el significado religioso de estas festividades. (It's important to remember the religious meaning of these celebrations.)
Las velas son un símbolo de esperanza y memoria. (Candles are a symbol of hope and memory.)
Marriage and relationships
Attitudes towards marriage and relationships have evolved significantly in Hispanic societies. This vocabulary allows you to discuss both traditional expectations and modern realities.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| anticuado | old-fashioned, outdated |
| blanco marfil | ivory white |
| la boda | wedding |
| casarse | to get married |
| la cifra | figure |
| la cola | train (of wedding dress) |
| el costo | cost |
| el cura | priest |
| el descenso | drop, fall |
| la deuda | debt |
| el dineral | fortune |
| disminuir (disminuyo) | to decrease |
| el divorcio | divorce |
| elevarse | to rise |
| empeorar | to make worse |
Example sentences:
Hoy en día, muchas parejas consideran que el matrimonio tradicional es anticuado. (Nowadays, many couples consider traditional marriage to be old-fashioned.)
La cifra de divorcios ha aumentado en los últimos años. (The divorce figure has risen in recent years.)
El costo de una boda puede ser un dineral para muchas familias. (The cost of a wedding can be a fortune for many families.)
Las tasas de matrimonio disminuyen mientras más jóvenes optan por la convivencia. (Marriage rates are decreasing whilst more young people opt for cohabitation.)
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el enlace | wedding |
| la felicidad | happiness |
| invertir (invierto) | to reverse |
| la luna de miel | honeymoon |
| la madrugada | the early hours |
| el matrimonio | marriage |
| la mitad | half |
| la pareja | couple, partner |
| el porcentaje | percentage |
| la ruptura | break-up |
| la tasa | rate |
| el traje de novia | wedding dress |
Example sentences:
La pareja celebró su enlace en una iglesia histórica. (The couple celebrated their wedding in a historic church.)
Casi la mitad de los matrimonios terminan en divorcio. (Almost half of marriages end in divorce.)
Después de la boda, los novios pasaron su luna de miel en el Caribe. (After the wedding, the newlyweds spent their honeymoon in the Caribbean.)
Es difícil invertir la tendencia de menos matrimonios entre los jóvenes. (It's difficult to reverse the trend of fewer marriages among young people.)
Changing Social Trends: Marriage rates in Spain and Latin America have declined significantly over recent decades. The average age of first marriage has increased, and cohabitation without marriage has become more socially acceptable. Understanding these trends is crucial for discussions about modern Hispanic society.
Modern family structures
Contemporary Hispanic societies embrace increasingly diverse family forms. This vocabulary is essential for discussing the variety of family structures that exist today.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el apoyo | support |
| caer bien (caigo) | to be liked, to please |
| el cariño | affection |
| los/las demás | the others |
| echar de menos | to miss |
| educador | educational |
| evolucionar | to evolve |
| fallecer (fallezco) | to die |
| la familia homoparental | same-sex family |
| la familia de raza mixta | mixed-race family |
| la familia ensamblada | stepfamily, blended family |
| la familia extensa | extended family |
| la familia monoparental | single-parent family |
| la familia nuclear | nuclear family |
| la familia política | in-laws |
Example sentences:
La familia homoparental es cada vez más aceptada en la sociedad española. (The same-sex family is increasingly accepted in Spanish society.)
Las familias monoparentales enfrentan desafíos económicos únicos. (Single-parent families face unique economic challenges.)
Mi familia ensamblada incluye hermanastros y hermanastras. (My blended family includes stepbrothers and stepsisters.)
La sociedad debe evolucionar para aceptar todas las formas familiares. (Society must evolve to accept all family forms.)
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el hogar | household |
| instalarse | to settle in |
| maduro | mature |
| malgastar | to waste, squander |
| la maternidad | maternity |
| la paternidad | paternity |
| pretender | to expect, hope |
| salir juntos (salgo) | to go out together |
Example sentences:
Los jóvenes pretenden establecer su propio hogar antes de casarse. (Young people expect to establish their own household before getting married.)
La maternidad y la paternidad compartida son más comunes ahora. (Shared maternity and paternity are more common now.)
Mis abuelos forman parte de nuestra familia extensa y nos apoyan mucho. (My grandparents are part of our extended family and support us greatly.)
Salgo juntos con mi pareja desde hace tres años. (I've been going out together with my partner for three years.)
Pronunciation tips:
- "Homoparental" - stress falls on "-tal": ho-mo-pa-ren-TAL
- "Ensamblada" - note the 'b' sound: en-sam-BLA-da
- "Madrugada" - stress on "-ga": ma-dru-GA-da
Common mistakes & tips
Estar vs ser confusion: Remember that estar harto de, estar obsesionado con, and estar ocupado all use estar because they describe temporary states or conditions, not permanent characteristics.
Gender of "ama": Although el ama de casa uses the masculine article "el", this is only because the noun begins with a stressed "a" sound. The word itself is feminine, so you'd say las amas de casa in plural.
Stem-changing verbs: Watch out for verbs that change in the yo form:
- disminuir → disminuyo (not "diminuo")
- invertir → invierto (e→ie change)
- fallecer → fallezco (-ecer → -ezco pattern)
- recordar → recuerdo (o→ue change)
Reflexive vs non-reflexive: Some verbs change meaning: "casar" (to marry someone to someone) vs casarse (to get married). Always use casarse when talking about getting married yourself.
False friends:
- pretender doesn't mean "to pretend" - it means "to expect" or "to hope"
- educar means "to bring up/raise" children, not just "to educate" in the schooling sense
Plural families: When saying "same-sex families" or "single-parent families", remember to pluralize both parts: las familias homoparentales, las familias monoparentales.
Remember!
Key Points to Master:
-
Traditional Hispanic family structures are evolving, with vocabulary reflecting both conservative values (el ama de casa, el deber) and modern attitudes (la familia homoparental, evolucionar)
-
Religious vocabulary remains culturally important even as society becomes more secular - festivals like Día de los Muertos blend Catholic and indigenous traditions
-
Marriage-related vocabulary must account for changing attitudes: declining marriage rates (disminuir, el descenso) and rising divorce figures (el divorcio, la ruptura)
-
Modern family diversity requires specific terminology for different structures: monoparental, homoparental, ensamblada, extensa, and nuclear families
-
Master irregular verb forms in context, especially those with stem changes (recuerdo, invierto, disminuyo, fallezco) and yo-form irregularities (caigo, salgo)