Senses and perceiving

Introduction to "Senses and Perceiving" in Spanish

This lesson focuses on how to talk about the five senses in Spanish, using common adjectives and the comparative forms to describe and compare sensory experiences. At the A1 level, you will learn essential vocabulary related to tastes, sounds, and smells, and practice forming basic comparative sentences using structures like "Más + adjective + que" (More + adjective + than), "menos + adjective + que" (Less + adjective + than), and "tan + adjective + como" (As + adjective + as).

Key Vocabulary on Senses

Flavors (Sabores)

• amargo – bitter
• dulce – sweet
• salado – salty
• ácido – sour

Sounds and Smells (Sonidos y olores)

• el olor – smell, scent
• el ruido – noise
• el silencio – silence
• oler – to smell

Using Comparatives in Descriptions

You will practice sentences like:

• "Este café es más amargo que el té." (This coffee is more bitter than the tea.)
• "La música en esta sala es menos fuerte que en la calle." (The music in this room is less loud than outside.)
• "La voz de Ana es tan clara como la de su hermana." (Ana's voice is as clear as her sister's.)

Practical Dialogues

To help you use these expressions naturally, dialogs cover everyday situations such as ordering fruit, discussing tastes at a café, or comparing clothes' textures and colors. For example, in a fruit shop conversation, you might say:

• "¿Has probado esta manzana?" (Have you tried this apple?)
• "Sí, está más dulce que la pera." (Yes, it is sweeter than the pear.)

Verb Focus: Present Tense Conjugations

Important verbs related to senses include oler (to smell), oír (to hear), ser and estar (both meaning "to be" but used differently). You'll learn their present tense forms to build proper sentences:

• Oler: yo huelo, tú hueles, él/ella huele, nosotros olemos, vosotros oléis, ellos huelen
• Oír: yo oigo, tú oyes, él/ella oye, nosotros oímos, vosotros oís, ellos oyen
• Ser: yo soy, tú eres, él/ella es, nosotros somos, vosotros sois, ellos son
• Estar: yo estoy, tú estás, él/ella está, nosotros estamos, vosotros estáis, ellos están

Cultural and Language Notes

Unlike English, Spanish uses two verbs, ser and estar, both meaning "to be," but in different contexts: ser for inherent qualities, and estar for temporary states or locations. For sensory descriptions, ser often describes qualities (e.g., "La naranja es ácida" – The orange is sour). When comparing, the structure "más + adjective + que" is similar to English "more + adjective + than," making it intuitive once you remember adjective agreement rules in Spanish.

Useful phrases for sensory descriptions include:

• "huele bien/mal" – smells good/bad
• "es más dulce que..." – is sweeter than...
• "tiene un olor suave/intenso" – has a soft/intense smell
• "es menos fuerte que..." – is less strong than...