Television (Junior Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Television
Core television vocabulary
Understanding television vocabulary is essential for discussing your viewing habits and preferences in Spanish. Here's the fundamental vocabulary you'll need:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la televisión | television |
| la tele | TV (informal) |
| el canal | channel |
| el programa | programme |
| la serie | series |
| la temporada | season |
| el episodio | episode |
| el documental | documentary |
| las noticias | news |
| el sonido | sound |
Types of programmes
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la cocina | cooking |
| la ciencia ficción | science fiction |
| el deporte | sport |
| educativo/a | educational |
| extranjero/a | foreign |
| la historia | history |
| la música | music |
| la naturaleza | nature |
| el país | country |
| el papel | role |
| la película | film |
| el personaje | character |
| el principio | beginning |
Example sentences:
- Me gusta ver programas de cocina. (I like watching cooking programmes.)
- Mi hermana prefiere las series extranjeras. (My sister prefers foreign series.)
- Vemos documentales de naturaleza los domingos. (We watch nature documentaries on Sundays.)
Grammar note: Programme types often use "de" to connect them: "programa de cocina" (cooking programme), "película de ciencia ficción" (science fiction film).
Television and cinema genres
Spanish distinguishes between television programmes and films with specific vocabulary for each medium:
Television programmes
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la telenovela (f.) | soap opera |
| la serie policíaca (f.) | detective series |
| las noticias (f.pl.) | news |
| los dibujos animados (m.pl.) | cartoon |
| el programa de juegos (m.) | game show |
| el programa de cocina (m.) | cookery programme |
| el programa de deporte (m.) | sports programme |
| el programa de música (m.) | music programme |
| el programa de naturaleza (m.) | nature programme |
| el programa de telerrealidad (m.) | reality programme |
Film genres
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la comedia (f.) | comedy |
| el drama (m.) | drama |
| el documental (m.) | documentary |
| la película de ciencia ficción (f.) | science fiction film |
| la película de terror (f.) | horror film |
| la película de espionaje (f.) | spy film |
| la película romántica (f.) | romantic film |
| la película de acción (f.) | action film |
| la película de fantasía (f.) | fantasy film |
| la película del oeste (f.) | western film |
Example sentences:
- No me gustan las películas de terror. (I don't like horror films.)
- Prefiero las comedias románticas. (I prefer romantic comedies.)
- Mi padre siempre ve programas de deporte. (My father always watches sports programmes.)
Grammar note: Notice that "película" is feminine, so all film genres use "la película de..." The article stays feminine regardless of the genre.
Expressing viewing frequency
When discussing your television habits, you'll need to express how often you watch different programmes:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Nunca veo... | I never watch... |
| No veo... casi nunca | I hardly ever watch... |
| A veces veo... | I sometimes watch... |
| Veo... con frecuencia | I frequently watch... |
| He visto... muchas veces | I have often watched... |
| Siempre veo... | I always watch... |
Example sentences:
- Nunca veo la televisión. (I never watch TV.)
- A veces veo una serie con mis padres. (I sometimes watch a series with my parents.)
- Siempre veo los documentales sobre la naturaleza. (I always watch nature documentaries.)
- Veo programas de cocina con frecuencia. (I frequently watch cooking programmes.)
Grammar note: These frequency expressions usually come at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the verb "ver" and then the object you're watching.
The irregular verb "ver" (to see/watch)
The verb "ver" is irregular in some forms. It's crucial for discussing what you watch on television:
Present tense
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| yo veo | I see/watch |
| tú ves | you see/watch |
| él/ella ve | he/she sees/watches |
| nosotros/as vemos | we see/watch |
| vosotros/as veis | you see/watch (plural) |
| ellos/as ven | they see/watch |
Preterite tense (simple past)
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| yo vi | I saw/watched |
| tú viste | you saw/watched |
| él/ella vio | he/she saw/watched |
| nosotros/as vimos | we saw/watched |
| vosotros/as visteis | you saw/watched (plural) |
| ellos/as vieron | they saw/watched |
Future tense
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| yo veré | I will see/watch |
| tú verás | you will see/watch |
| él/ella verá | he/she will see/watch |
| nosotros/as veremos | we will see/watch |
| vosotros/as veréis | you will see/watch (plural) |
| ellos/as verán | they will see/watch |
Additional form: The gerund is "viendo" (watching). Example: "Estoy viendo la televisión" (I am watching TV).
Example sentences:
- Ayer vi una película muy buena. (Yesterday I watched a very good film.)
- Esta noche veremos las noticias. (Tonight we will watch the news.)
- Estoy viendo una serie policíaca. (I am watching a detective series.)
Understanding TV listings
When reading Spanish TV guides, you'll encounter specific vocabulary:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el fin de semana | weekend |
| la hora | time |
| decepcionado/a | disappointed |
| una amenaza (f.) | threat |
| el secuestro (m.) | kidnapping |
| pintoresco/a | picturesque |
| la localidad (f.) | location |
| el/la guionista | scriptwriter |
| enamorarse | to fall in love |
| perdidamente | hopelessly |
| la temporada (f.) | season (of a TV show) |
| la expulsión (f.) | eviction |
Example sentences:
- El programa empieza a las ocho. (The programme starts at eight o'clock.)
- La temporada final será muy emocionante. (The final season will be very exciting.)
- El protagonista se enamora perdidamente. (The main character falls hopelessly in love.)
Useful phrases for discussing television
Here are practical phrases you'll use when talking about TV:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué te gusta ver en la tele? | What do you like watching on TV? |
| Me gustan las comedias. | I like comedias. |
| No me gusta nada. | I don't like it at all. |
| Es muy interesante. | It's very interesting. |
| Es aburrido. | It's boring. |
| ¿A qué hora empieza? | What time does it start? |
| ¿En qué canal? | On which channel? |
| Prefiero ir al cine. | I prefer going to the cinema. |
Translation practice
Practice Exercises:
Spanish to English:
- Nunca veo las telenovelas porque son aburridas.
- Mi programa favorito es un documental sobre la naturaleza.
English to Spanish: 3. I sometimes watch cooking programmes with my mother. 4. We will see a good film tonight.
Common errors and fixes
Watch out for these common mistakes:
-
Error: "Yo vero la televisión" Fix: "Yo veo la televisión" (The verb "ver" is irregular in the "yo" form) Reason: Students often forget that "ver" doesn't follow regular -er verb patterns.
-
Error: "Me gusta mucho la películas" Fix: "Me gusta mucho la película" or "Me gustan mucho las películas" Reason: Singular/plural agreement between article and noun is essential.
-
Error: "A las ocho y media de la mañana" Fix: "A las ocho y media de la noche" (when talking about TV programmes) Reason: Most TV programmes are in the evening, not morning.
Key Points to Remember:
- The verb "ver" is irregular - "yo veo" not "yo vero"
- Use frequency expressions to discuss viewing habits: nunca, a veces, siempre
- TV programme genres often use "programa de..." + topic
- Film genres use "película de..." + genre type
- Practice the different tenses of "ver" to discuss past, present and future viewing
Translation answers:
- I never watch soap operas because they are boring.
- My favourite programme is a nature documentary.
- A veces veo programas de cocina con mi madre.
- Esta noche veremos una película buena.