Spanish · A2 · Family moment
Support And Belonging in Spanish
This guide helps parents talk about supporting others, sharing preferences, and identifying who things belong to. We focus on verbs that use indirect objects (similar to the dative case) to show who is receiving an action or feeling an emotion.
What you'll learn
- Offer help to others using the verb 'ayudar'.
- Express likes and interests using 'gustar'.
- Describe ownership using 'pertenecer'.
- Express when someone is missing something using 'faltar' or 'echar de menos'.
Spanish phrases for support and belonging
Te ayudaré con tu proyecto.
I will help you with your project.
'Te' is the pronoun for 'you'. 'Ayudaré' is the future tense.
¿Puedes ayudar a tu amigo?
Can you help your friend?
We use the 'personal a' before 'tu amigo' because he is the object of the help.
¿Te gusta el club nuevo?
Do you like the new club?
In Spanish, the club is the subject, and it 'pleases' you.
A tu hermana le gusta tu dibujo.
Your sister likes your drawing.
We use 'le' to represent 'her' and 'A tu hermana' to clarify who we mean.
¿Este casco te pertenece?
Does this helmet belong to you?
'Pertenecer' uses indirect object pronouns like 'te'.
Estos libros le pertenecen a tu amigo.
These books belong to your friend.
'Le' and 'a tu amigo' both point to the same person.
Echas de menos a tu mejor amigo.
You miss your best friend.
'Echar de menos' is the standard way to say 'to miss' someone.
A tu hermano le falta una pieza para su maqueta.
Your brother is missing a piece for his model.
'Faltar' works like 'gustar'; the missing piece is the subject.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
ayudar
to help
Commonly followed by 'a' when referring to a person.
pertenecer
to belong to
Requires an indirect object pronoun (me, te, le, etc.).
echar de menos
to miss
An idiomatic phrase used for people or things you feel nostalgic for.
faltar
to be missing / to lack
Used when a part of a whole is absent.
Verbs like Gustar (Indirect Objects)
In Spanish, verbs like 'gustar' (to like) and 'faltar' (to lack) focus on the thing being liked or missing. The person affected is the Indirect Object.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| To me | Me | Me gusta (I like it) |
| To you (informal) | Te | Te falta (You are missing) |
| To him/her/you (formal) | Le | Le pertenece (It belongs to him/her) |
More examples
Nos gusta ayudar en casa.
We like to help at home.
Using 'Nos' for 'us'.
¿Qué te falta para terminar?
What are you missing to finish?
Asking about a missing requirement.