8 A SPANISH REFERENCE GRAMMAR

(c) When final in a breath-group, or when followed by another consonant; the tongue is then placed as in 25, but the sound is whispered, that is, the vocal cords do not vibrate: usted es de Madrid, z verdad? you are from Madrid, are you not? es la cuidad de juventud feliz, it is the city of happy youth. 26.

7. f; about as in English: Felipe se figura feliz y afortunado, Philip considers himself happy and fortunate; Felipe fija la fecha, Philip fixes the date. 27.

8. g before a, o, u, or consonant; or gu before e or i. There are two pronunciations of g (or gu) in these combinations:

1. When initial in a breath-group, or when preceded by m or n, the sound is that of g in English got: un gato y un gallo no son grandes, a cat and a rooster are not large; que no vengan guerras sangrientas, let not bloody wars come. 28.

2. In other cases the back of the tongue is not pressed so firmly against the back part of the palate as in 28, and the breath escapes over the back of the tongue with some friction: el guia ruega que el grupo le siga, the guide begs the group to follow him; tuve ganas de gastarlo, I was anxious to spend it; el gordo se pone delgado, the fat man grows thin. 29.

9. gu before a or o; or gii before e or i; sound of gu in language: el guaso guarda los giiiros, the rustic guards the gourds; es el guardia del museo antiguo, he is the guardian of the old museum; el guapo no tiene vergiienza, the handsome fellow is shameless; averigiie dOnde estaban las antigiiedades, I found out where the antiques were. 30.

Io. g before e or i, or j everywhere; sound of a much exaggerated h, as in English hey! or the sound similar to that produced when one clears the throat with the mouth wide open: el jefe se dirige al ejercito, the leader addresses the army; cogi mis trajes y mis joyas, I seized my clothes and my jewels; el general es joven y justo, the general is young and just; la gente de Gijon es generosa, the people of Gijon are generous. 31.

1. h is silent: el hombre esti con hambre, the man is hungry; el se ahoga en el humo, he is stifling in the smoke; no hay harina en el horno, there is no flour in the oven. 32.

12. 1 much as in English, but uttered with the tip of the tongue pressed against the gums above the back of the upper front teeth: lava la lona en el liquido limpio, he washes the canvas in the clean liquid, el lee los mil libros del librero, he reads the bookseller's thousand books. 33.

13. 11; much as in English lli in billion; but