Ch 49 · Lesson 9Spanish · Chapter 49 · Lesson 9 · Grammar primer
Accents: día and país, plurals and pronouns
A stressed i or u beside another vowel always takes the accent (, , ); one-syllable words take none (); and plurals and pronouns move it: , ; , .
The short version
When the stress falls on i or u
Why?Hide
A weak vowel (i or u) next to a strong one normally glides into one syllable: , , . When the stress falls on the weak vowel instead, the pair splits, and Spanish marks the split with an accent on the weak vowel. That is why is dí-a and is . This override beats the ordinary and llanas rule.
A plural can gain or lose its accent
,
Why?Hide
The stressed syllable stays put when a word grows, but its place from the end moves. becomes , now stressed three from the end, so the accent arrives. becomes , now a llana ending in s, so the accent goes. Run the test again on the new word.
Two vowels, two syllables: día and país
The vowels i and u are weak; a, e and o are strong. A weak vowel beside a strong one normally glides into a single syllable, and needs no accent:
.- I study well. (: the io is one syllable)
When the stress falls on the weak vowel instead, the pair splits into two syllables, and Spanish always writes the accent on the weak vowel, whatever the vowel, n or s test says:
| Word | Syllables | English |
|---|---|---|
| DÍ-a | day |
| country | |
| RÍ-o | river |
| o-Í-do | ear |
day
country
river
the override: it is a llana ending in a vowel, so the test says no accent, and the split says yes.
Verbs that keep the stress on i or u
Some verbs put the stress on the weak vowel in the present, so the accent appears in four of the six forms (, , , ; but , ). Compare , which keeps the diphthong:
| Infinitive | yo | él, ella |
|---|---|---|
| | |
| | |
| | |
.- I'm sending you the photo..- The story goes on.
One-syllable words: no accent
A word with one syllable has no other syllable to compete with, so it is written bare:
.- It was a long day..- This is for you.
The one exception is the diacritic accent, which tells look-alike words apart by meaning: (he) against (the), (you) against (your). It has its own page.
Plurals and pronouns move the accent
The stressed syllable stays put when a word grows, but its place from the end changes, so the accent can come or go:
| Singular | Plural | Why |
|---|---|---|
| | now a llana in s |
| | now a llana in s |
| | now an esdrújula |
| | now an esdrújula |
Pronouns joined to a command push the stress further from the end, so the accent arrives:
| Command | With pronouns | English |
|---|---|---|
| | buy it |
| | tell me it |
Three nouns move their stress in the plural and break the pattern: becomes , becomes , espécimen becomes especímenes.
.- He/she has a very good nature.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| cafe | | in a vowel |
| llana in l | |
| exámen | | llana in n: no accent |
| canciónes | | the plural is a llana |
| the plural is an esdrújula | |
| the vowels split | |
| fué | | one syllable |
| capitals keep the accent |
Going further: Spanish accent rules at a glance and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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