🇻🇪 Venezuela, dos semanas después
It's been two weeks since the earthquakes hit my country, and it feels like a different phase: less about rescue now, more about the long work of rebuilding. The death toll is nearing 3,900, and that number is likely to keep climbing for a while.
These are organizations that are truly doing the work on the ground:
Every bit helps. Fuerza, Venezuela. 🇻🇪
¡Bienvenido/a a Master Spanish Weekly! 👋🏻
A lot of you found this newsletter through the free guide from Vokally’s Instagram or Facebook, so first: bienvenido/a, and thank you for being here.
This email lands every Friday: one clear lesson, real examples, a song, and a few things to help you make Spanish part of your week. Glad you’re here.
¡Vamos! 🧠
A song I like:
🎵 Nueva Era — Leo Rizzi
This one's off Leo Rizzi's new album, La Belleza de las Flores. Clear, unhurried Spanish vocals, easy to follow, and a good excuse to practice your listening while you drive or cook.
Lesson of the week
🎯 Lección de la semana: ¿Por qué existe el subjuntivo?
Quiero comer. → I want to eat. Quiero que comas. → I want you to eat.
Same verb, two different endings. Here's why:
When the subject stays the same, you just use the infinitive (regular conjugation). When the subject changes and the first verb is a trigger: a wish, an emotion, a doubt, a recommendation, Spanish switches to the subjunctive to mark that shift.
Más ejemplos:
Espero que llegues a tiempo. → I hope you arrive on time.
Ojalá que todo salga bien. → Hopefully everything turns out well.
Es importante que estudies un poco cada día. → It's important that you study a little every day.
The trigger words fall into a few clear categories:
Deseos (quiero, espero, ojalá)
Emociones (me alegra, me sorprende)
Dudas y negación (dudo que, no creo que), and
Peticiones y expresiones impersonales (es necesario que, te pido que).
I put together a full guide covering every category, with example sentences for each, so the next time you're unsure, you'll have somewhere to check👇🏼
Let’s test your knowledge
✏️ Mini Quiz
Choose the best answer.
Which sentence is correct?
(a) Espero que tú vienes a la fiesta. · (b) Espero que tú vengas a la fiesta.
"Dudo que ella _____ la verdad."
(a) sabe · (b) sabrá · (c) sepa
Which of these does NOT trigger the subjunctive?
(a) Sé que... · (b) Es necesario que... · (c) Ojalá que...
"Mis padres quieren que yo _____ medicina."
(a) estudio · (b) estudie · (c) estudiar
Which sentence correctly uses the indicative, not the subjunctive?
(a) Creo que tiene razón. · (b) No creo que tenga razón.
What’s happening in Vokally
📣 Lo que pasa en Vokally
Classes for July are already underway!
If you've been thinking about joining, there's still time; you can start this month or save your spot for August. The first step is the same either way: an intro class (30 min) with me, one-on-one, so I can place you at the right level and experience our teaching method.
¡Gracias por leer mi newsletter!
¡Gracias!
Gracias por estar aquí, por tu curiosidad, y por darle un poco de tu tiempo al español esta semana.
Si eres nuevo/a, me alegra mucho tenerte aquí.
Nos vemos el próximo viernes.
¡Un abrazo!
Alejandro, Founder and Director @ Vokally
