Hot Language How-Tos
How To: Pronounce consonants in Brazilian Portuguese
In this tutorial, we learn how to pronounce consonants in Brazilian Portuguese. When you are learning how to speak Brazilian Portuguese but are a native English speaker, it's going to be easiest to learn if you slowly speak the different consonants. If you learn how the new language relates to English, you will be able to easily speak them without too much difficulty. Learn different words that have the consonants in them, so you can hear the difference between different words and how the let...
How To: Pronunce "Ta'a" & "6a'a" in Arabic
In this tutorial, we learn how to pronounce "Ta'a" & "6a'a" in Arabic. First, become familiar with the families of letters by their pronunciations. It will be helpful to hear the audio of how these sound so you can match the letter with the sound. As you learn the "ta" and "a" sounds, you will see how they change in different words, so they aren't always the same. The pronunciation will sound more heavy in some words and lighter in others. Once you have learned these, you will be ready to lea...
How To: Understand vowels and vowel sounds in Spanish
In this tutorial, we learn how to understand vowels and vowel sounds in Spanish. To best understand how to say the vowel sounds in Spanish, you will want to listen to a native speaker saying different words. Take some of the words that you might think sound the same, but are completely different. These words can use the same vowels but have a different sound because of the pronunciation that is associated with them. Start to practice the vowels out one by one, then start to use them in words ...
How To: Understand subject pronouns in Spanish
In this video, we learn how to understand subject pronouns in Spanish. Subject pronouns are pronouns that stand in for the person that is going to carry out the action in the sentence. In English, sentence pronouns are things like "I", "you", "he", "she", "we", and "you guys". In Spanish, pronouns change to "yo", "tu", "usted", "el", "ella", "nosotros", and more. Whenever you talk about a verb in a sentence, it will change what the subject pronoun is and how it's said in the sentence. Make su...
How To: Use direct objects & direct object pronouns in Spanish
In this video, we learn how to use direct objects & direct object pronouns in Spanish. A direct object is the object of the subject inside of a sentence. An example of this is "yo contesto el telefono". The direct object in this sentence is "el telefono" and the subject is "yo". The direct object is the "what" of the sentence, not the who. Another example of this is "nosotros miramos las peliculas". In this sentence, the subject is "nosotros" and the direct object is "las peliculas". Pay clos...
How To: Use reference words in reported speech in English
In this video, we learn how to speak English: Reported Speech/Reference Words. Reported speech is reporting another person's words or telling what someone else said. Indirect speech doesn't use the use the exact words that we use. Examples of reference words are: her, she, herself, him, and himself. Types of references can be pronouns or possessive adjectives. Listen to who the speaker is so you can change the reference words so that the statement is logical. Use this example as a reference: ...
How To: Use imperatives or reporting verbs in English speech
In this tutorial, we learn how to speak English: Imperatives or reporting verbs. Imperative sentences are sentences like "open it!", where you are asking someone to perform an action. You can also say this in a nice fashion, asking "please open it". There are many different forms of imperative sentences, which include: commands/orders, directions, instructions, requests, and warnings. All of these different types of sentences are asking someone to do something, just changing up the way they d...
How To: Say "I have brown hair" & other statements in Hindi
In this tutorial, we learn how to say "I have brown hair" & other statements in Hindi. First, learn the basic body parts in Hindi. For example, "I have brown hair" and "I have blue eyes" would translate to, "mere baal bhure hain" and "meri aankhein neeli hain". These sound a bit different when they are translated into English, but that is the proper way to say them in Hindi. Once you have learned how to say the basic body parts and keywords in Hindi, then you will be able to better have basic...
How To: Use the Japanese Slang 'Kakkoii' or 'Cool'
In this tutorial, we learn Japanese slang "kakkoii" or "cool." The word we will learn is "kakkoii," which describes something that is cool, looks awesome, or sounds cool. So, if you wanted to describe a band that sounds cool or say someone is cool, you would use this word. There is a small "su" in the word that you will need to learn to pronounce when you are saying it. "Mabui" is a word that you would use to describe a girl who is really hot with a nice body and face. For the ladies, if you ...
How To: Express "to be" in Spanish using ser, estar and haber
In this tutorial, we learn how to express "to be" in Spanish using ser, estar and haber. When expressing forms such as: am, are, was and were you will say "ser" and "estar" in Spanish. The verb "ser" should be conjugated for each of the different tenses that you are using. Often, "ser" is used to ask questions such as: where you are from, what nationality are you, and what things belong to someone. "Ser" is also used to indicate occupation, religion, political party, event locations, date, an...
How To: Make informal and formal commands in Spanish
In this video, we learn how to make Informal and formal commands in Spanish. When you speak in first person singular, you will say "yo" when you speak in plural, you will say "nosotros". These are both informal or familiar forms of the word. When you are speaking to someone that is a elder, you will want to speak in formal instead of informal. Use informal mode when you are talking with friends, family, children, and anyone else you talk to in a daily basis. Pay attention if you are talking a...
How To: Say "I speak" or "he/she speaks" & more in Hindi
Learn how to frame sentences with our vocabulary knowledge in Hindi. So if you want to say "to speak" in Hindi, it'll be "bolna". If you want to say "I speak" in Hindi, it'll be "main bolta hun", just replace the "na" with "ta". If you want to say "he speaks" in Hindi, it'll be "wo bolta hai". If you want to say "she speaks" in Hindi, it'll be "wo bolti hai".
How To: Use the IR power verbs in Brazilian Portuguese
In this video, we learn how to use Power Verbs in Brazilian Portuguese: "IR". When you are using power verbs, you will often use "ir" to help with conjugations. For example, when you are saying "I go/ am going" you would say "eu vou" or if you say "you (do something)/are going" you would say "voce vai". The "ir" will change depending on who you are talking about in your sentence. You will also need to change the end of the power verb that you are using so you can properly use it in a sentence...
How To: Use vowels and diphthongs in Brazilian Portuguese
In this tutorial, we learn how to use vowels and diphthongs in Brazilian Portuguese. When first learning this language, you will want to become comfortable with different words and syllables. When you learn these, you will be able to better learn how to say different vowels and pauses in words. There are some words that have two consecutive vowels in them. Examples of these are: cadeira, saudade, joia, gloria, agua, sueca, and more. Not all of these words are diphthongs. You will need to lear...
How To: Say a little poem/joke in Tagalog
In this video, we learn how to say a little poem/joke in Tagalog. When you first want to learn how to say these different poems or jokes, you will want to make sure you understand how to say these words correctly. The vowels are the most important part of the words, so make sure you are pronouncing correctly. Listen to audio to learn how to say the joke correctly, then when you have it down you will get a lot of laughs! This is a great joke to use with friends or family and can be used in Tag...
How To: Use "It's + adjective + infinitive" in English
In this video, we learn how to use "It's + adjective + infinitive" in English. To form these sentences, you will use the pattern that is stated above. This is very common in the English language, and you can put whatever you want into the sentence as the infinitive. You can change this from "it's hard to do" to It's not hard to do" to "it's easy to do". You can also make something negative, by giving it the prefix "im", which would change "possible" to "impossible". You can also ad in "un" to...
How To: Use the true T and flap T when speaking English
In this tutorial, we learn how to speak English using the true "t" and the flap "t". You will notice as you say different words in English that have the letter "T" that it sounds differently depending on the word it is in. The words "batter" and "latter" have a different sound to them than "hearty" and "thirty". Look at two words with the letters in them and find which one has the flap T in it. Say these words out loud so you can better hear what the different in the pronunciation is. This le...
How To: Use present tense of Spanish AR verbs
In this video, we learn how to speak Spanish using present tense AR verbs. "Nosotros" means "we", "nosotras" means we as well, it's just talking about a female while the other is talking about a male. Common "ar" verbs include: necesitar, patinar, practicar, terminar, tocar, trabajar, nadar, hablar. These mean (in order): to need, to skate, to practice, to fish, to play, to work, to swim, and to talk. When you are talking about a male, female, or group of people you need to change the last pa...
How To: Pronounce simple phrases in German
In this video, we learn how to pronounce simple phrases in German. To say "hello again!" in German, you will say "hallo nochmal!" in German. To say "I am" you will say "Ich bin" in German. "Ich bin Amerikaner" means "I am American" in English. "Ich bin Brite" means "I am a Briton" and "Ich bin Franzose" means "I am a Frenchman". Practice saying these and make sure you have the pronunciation right for all the different vowels and letters that are in the word. German has a very accent for the w...
How To: Use the passive voice in Spanish
In this video, we learn how to use the passive voice in Spanish. The first way to use the passive voice in Spanish is to use "ser", the second is by using "se". First, recognize the subject, verb, and object in your sentence. Now, write your sentence using a passive voice, making the object the subject and change the tense of the verb. This is very easy to do and basically just flips the sentence around and changes out the tense of the verb. This will change the sentence into the passive voic...
How To: Use the English proposition "at"
This video is in the Language category where you will understand how the proposition "at" is used in English language. "At" is used to indicate either location or time. A few examples of using "at" for indicating location are; "I am at school", "You are at home", "She is at the store" and "They are at the park". To indicate exact time, the preposition "at" is used. A few examples are; "The movie starts at 6:15", "You have to be there at 1:30" and "Let's meet at noon". You can watch the video ...
How To: Describe and express personality in Spanish
In this video, we learn how to speak Spanish by describing personality. There are many words to express personality and how you are. Some of these words include "generoso" (generous), "simpatico" (nice), and "ordenado" (organized). The most common ending to words is "o", which can be used to describe yourself. Only a few words will end in "r", "e", or "a". The end of the word is important because it tells us the gender of the word. This means the adjectives will change depending on who they a...
How To: Use the verb "be" in different tenses in English
In this video, we learn how to use the verb "be" in different tenses. This verb changes depending on the verb tense and subject in which it's used. In the present tense, "I am", "we are", "you are", etc can be used. In the past tense "I was", "you were", "he was", "we were", etc can be used. For future tense "I will be", "you will be", "he will be", "she will be", etc can be used. Depending on the tense you have, the verb "be" will change in all the sentences. Make sure to go over these and l...
How To: Use infinitives for questions in English
In this tutorial, we learn how to speak English using infinitives for questions. First, you need to be able to identify reported questions inside of a conversation. Infinitives include words like "to go", "to buy", "to find". They are formed by saying "to" + the verb. "Wh" infinitives are simply at the beginning of infinitives, like "where to go", "when to buy", and "how to find". Use infinitives to report questions that have modal verbs such as "should" and "can" depending on what the modal ...
How To: Use the phrase "I like" or "me gusta" in Spanish
In this video, we learn how to speak Spanish: "me gusta" (I like). First, you will need to learn how to form sentences. After saying "me gusta", you will need to say a verb that you like to do. These include: "nadar" (to swim), "practicar deportes" (to practice sports), and "estudiar" (to study). These are just a few of the many words you can use for verbs. An example of a sentence would be "me gusta tocar la guitarra" (I like to play guitar). If you would like to say you don't like to do som...
How To: Talk about your daily routine in Spanish
In this video, we learn how to talk about your daily routine in Spanish. First, you need to learn common expressions about doing things. The key verbs that talk about your typical routine include: "despertarse" (to wake up), "levantarse" (to get up), "banarse" (to bathe), and "ducharse" (to shower). These are just a few of the verbs you can use for your daily routine. Other activities include: "estudiar" (study), "cenar" (to have dinner), and "acostarse" (to go to bed). Make sure if you are u...
How To: Change verb tenses when reporting in English
In this video, we learn how to speak English using verb tenses. Verb tenses will not change if you are reporting facts, general truth, or immediate reporting. In all other situations, you will change verb tenses. An example of this is "I will buy balloons" can change to "she said she would buy balloons". This shifts a sentence back to a different tense. When shifting verb tenses back future and present go to the past and past goes to past perfect. Practice changing verb tenses in different se...
How To: Use inseparable verb phrases in English
In this video, we learn how to use inseparable verb phrases. Inseparable verb phrases are verb phrases that can't be separated. An example of this includes: "Hiep's English wasn't very good because he dropped out of school early". In this sentence, "dropped out of" means to leave school early and cannot be separated from the rest of the sentence. Depending on the tense of the verb phrase, you will not be able to change just one word, you will have to change the entire sentence. After you find...
How To: Use two digit numbers in Arabic
In this video, we learn how to understand two digit numbers in Arabic. Start off by having numbers written out in Arabic on a screen in front of you. Guess what these numbers are and how you say them. After this, have the answer come out on how to say the number and what it is, so you know if you were right or not. The pronunciation to these numbers is key, because they can end up sounding incorrect or you could make a whole new world with the slip of just one letter. Practice this for the ba...
How To: Pronunce Spanish consonant letters and sounds
In this video, we learn how to pronounce Spanish consonant letters and sounds. "B" and "v" sound the same in a number of different dialects. Practice saying these words with the letters in both the beginning and end of the word so you know exactly how to say them, and how they differ when used in different words. Practice saying the other letters and learning what their pronunciation is like in different words. There will be different sounds depending on the words, so pay close attention. Lea...
How To: Use the words where, here, there, come and go in Hindi
In this video, we learn how to use Hindi words for: Where, here, there, come and go. As you learn how to say these different words, you will need to look at a visual key so you can see how they are written in Hindu. You will also need to listen to how the words are said, because there is a very different dialect with speaking Hindi than there is when speaking English. These mean the same things as they do in English, and can be used in the same sentences as well. Once you get the hang of lear...
How To: Use the imperfect or past subjunctive in Spanish
In this video, we learn how to use the imperfect or past subjunctive in Spanish. When you are speaking in first person, you are going to use the singular "yo". If you are speaking in plurals, you will us "os", such as "nosotros". For second person familiar, you will use "tu", then for second person formal you would say "usted". For third person, you will say "el". When you talk in second person familiar and formal you will stress the second syllable in the word. Dissect the sentence to find o...
How To: Use Japanese expressions for "lazy"
In this video, we learn how to use Japanese expressions for "lazy". This is difficult to translate for most people, because of how it's expressed and said. Mendo-Kusai is expressing something you don't feel like doing. This is something that takes too much effort, and you can take this to someone casually or with your friends. An example is if you don't feel like doing your homework, or you don't want to walk all the way around a grocery store. This basically means you are being lazy and don'...
How To: Use compound tenses with "haber" & "estar" in Spanish
In this video, we learn how to use compound tenses with "haber" and "estar" in Spanish. "I am speaking" would translate into "You estoy hablando". If you are talking about a girl eating, you would say "Ella esta comiendo". To say "they were writing letters", you would say "Ellos estaban escribiendo cartas". You will see the form of the verb changing in each of the sentences. You will also see the gender of the verb changing in each of the sentences, depending on who is being talked about. The...
How To: Read numbers in Arabic
In this video, we learn how to read numbers in Arabic. Make sure you are looking at the screen while reading the numbers, so you can get a visual key as to how the numbers look. As you start with the first number, you should learn how to say them in Arabic using the correct pronunciation as well. Each of the different numbers have a unique look in Arabic and should be written out correctly, because they can be mistaken for other numbers if not written out correctly. You can also write several...
How to Speak English: "Wh-" questions (what, where, when...)
A video that is essentially a part of series of videos, that deal with teaching indirect speech basics to intermediate and above level English language learners.
How To: Tag questions with indefinite pronouns in English
This is a video tutorial in the Language category where you are going to learn how to tag questions with indefinite pronouns in English. A tag question begins as a statement and ends as a question. Here's an example with a definite pronoun: He's a student, isn't he? Indefinite pronouns are exceptions to the rule. For example, everyone's here, can be made in to a tag question. But, the pronoun, everyone, is indefinite. Hence, when you make it in to a tag question, you can't use "it". The corre...
How To: Use heavy & light pronunciations in Arabic
In this tutorial, we learn how to use heavy & light pronunciations in Arabic. As you practice doing these pronunciations, you will need to watch the video where the letters are drawn out for you. It will also help you to hear the pronunciation done by a native speaker so you can get an idea of exactly how to say each letter. The letters differ greatly between how you say it in English and will change depending on what words you are using them in. As you learn how to pronounce these, you will ...
How To: Use reflexive verbs in Spanish
In this video, we learn how to use reflexive verbs in Spanish. All of the reflexive verbs are related. Once you have your verb changed, you will have to change how you are saying the different words in the sentence. If you are talking about yourself, you will have to make sure you take out "es", so you aren't saying the sentence incorrectly. If you are calling yourself something, you are reflecting the verb back to yourself. I you want to say "I talk", you will say "yo habo", because you are ...
How To: Use basic words in Hindi
In this video, we learn how to use basic words in Hindi. The easiest way to learn the basic words is to hear them and see them at the same time. When you are saying "I" you will say "main" in Hindi. When you want to say "I have" you will say "mere paas hai". Try saying each of the parts individually so you can get a better feel for them, then combining them together quickly to make just one word. Once you are ready to combine these into a sentence, feel free to use the basic words together in...