Social media and gaming

Q: What are the Spanish words for common digital devices such as mobile phone, tablet, computer, laptop, screen, and console?

el móvil / el teléfono móvil (mobile phone), la tableta (tablet), el ordenador (computer), el ordenador portátil (laptop), la pantalla (screen), and la consola (de videojuegos) (games console).

Q: Which Spanish verbs are used for "to upload", "to download", "to share", and "to send messages"?

"To upload/post": colgar , subir , or publicar ; "to download": descargar or bajar ; "to share": compartir ; "to send messages": mandar / enviar mensajes .

Q: What is the crucial grammar rule when using the verb jugar to talk about playing video games or matches?

You must use jugar a followed by the definite article ( el, la, los, las ), for example: Juego a los videojuegos .

Q: How do you say that you or someone else is "hooked" or "addicted" to a device or social network in Spanish?

Use the phrase estar enganchado/a (a) , making sure the adjective agrees in gender with the subject (e.g. Estoy enganchado/a a mi móvil ).

Q: How do you express purpose or reason for using technology using the preposition para ?

Follow para with an infinitive verb (e.g. Uso mi móvil para estar en contacto con mis amigos ).

Q: Where are direct object pronouns ( lo, la, los, las ) placed in a Spanish sentence?

They are placed either before a conjugated verb or attached directly to the end of an infinitive .

Spanish (2024) (1SP1) · Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) · 7 min read · Updated: 27 Aug 2026

¡Hola! Welcome to your revision guide for Social media and gaming, a core topic within the Media and technology thematic context for Pearson Edexcel GCSE Spanish (1SP1). Whether you love streaming games, chatting with friends, or simply scrolling through feeds, you already know these concepts in English. Here, we will learn how to express these digital habits fluently in Spanish!

This topic appears across all four exam papers, each worth 25% of your final GCSE mark (50 marks each, 200 marks in total):
• Paper 1: Speaking (Role-plays, picture descriptions, and conversations)
• Paper 2: Listening (Comprehension and dictation tasks)
• Paper 3: Reading (Extracts from blogs, forums, and translation into English)
• Paper 4: Writing (Translation into Spanish and extended responses)

Don't worry if learning tech vocabulary feels overwhelming at first. We will break everything down into manageable chunks with clear examples, memory tricks, and grammar hacks to help you achieve the highest grades.

1. Essential Devices and Online Communication

Let's start with the everyday gadgets and actions you use to connect with friends and browse the internet.

Key Hardware and Devices

• el móvil / el teléfono móvil = mobile phone
• la tableta = tablet
• el ordenador / el ordenador portátil = computer / laptop
• la pantalla = screen
• la consola (de videojuegos) = games console
• la aplicación / la app = app / application

Social Networking & Online Actions

• las redes sociales = social networks / social media
• el perfil = profile
• el mensaje = message
• mandar / enviar mensajes = to send messages
• colgar / subir / publicar fotos/vídeos = to post / upload photos/videos
• descargar / bajar = to download
• compartir = to share
• la contraseña = password
• los datos personales / la información personal = personal data / personal information
• el usuario = user
• navegar por internet / por la red = to surf the web / browse online

Memory Tip: "Subir" and "Bajar"

Think of uploading and downloading like an elevator: subir means "to go up" (upload to the cloud), and bajar means "to go down" (download to your device). You can also use descargar for downloading and publicar or colgar for posting/uploading.

Quick Review: Learn your nouns with their gender (el or la). Remembering that la pantalla is feminine and el móvil is masculine will save you marks in writing and speaking.

2. Gaming Vocabulary and the "Jugar a" Rule

Gaming is one of the most popular topics in the GCSE speaking and writing exams. Here are the core terms you need to describe your gaming habits.

Gaming Terms

• el videojuego / los videojuegos = video game / video games
• el jugador / la jugadora = player / gamer
• la partida = match / round / game (e.g. una partida de videojuegos = a round of video games)
• el canal = channel (e.g. YouTube or streaming channel)
• jugar en línea = to play online

The Golden Grammar Rule: "Jugar a"

In English, we say "I play video games". In Spanish, you must include the preposition a plus the definite article (el, la, los, las). Omitting this is one of the most common mistakes flagged by examiners!

• Incorrect: Juego videojuegos
• Correct: Juego a los videojuegos (I play video games)
• Correct: Juego a una partida en línea (I play a round online)

Quick Review: Always link the verb jugar with a + article when talking about games and sports!

3. Giving Opinions: Advantages and Disadvantages

To score high marks in GCSE Spanish, you need to weigh up both sides of an argument. Here is how to discuss the pros and cons of technology.

Key Opinion Expressions & Adjectives

• las ventajas y desventajas = advantages and disadvantages
• útil = useful
• peligroso/a = dangerous
• adictivo/a = addictive
• una pérdida de tiempo = a waste of time
• proteger = to protect

Expressing Addiction: "Estar enganchado/a a"

A brilliant, natural Spanish phrase to show that someone is "hooked" or "addicted" is estar enganchado/a (a). Make sure the ending agrees with the person speaking:

• Estoy enganchado a mi móvil. (Male speaker: I am hooked on my mobile.)
• Estoy enganchada a las redes sociales. (Female speaker: I am hooked on social media.)
• Mi hermano está enganchado a los videojuegos. (My brother is hooked on video games.)

Expressing Purpose: "Para" + Infinitive

Use para followed by an infinitive (an unchanged verb ending in -ar, -er, or -ir) to explain why you use technology:

• Uso mi móvil para estar en contacto con mis amigos. (I use my phone to stay in touch with my friends.)
• Uso el ordenador para hacer mis deberes. (I use the computer to do my homework.)
• Uso las redes sociales para compartir fotos. (I use social media to share photos.)

Value Judgments: "Es importante" + Infinitive

Impress the examiner by stating rules and safety advice impersonally:

• Es importante proteger los datos personales y usar una contraseña segura. (It is important to protect personal data and use a secure password.)

Quick Review: Balance your answers by giving at least one positive aspect (e.g., es muy útil para compartir información) and one negative aspect (e.g., es una pérdida de tiempo y puede ser peligroso).

4. Essential Grammar Toolkit: Object Pronouns & Timeframes

To reach higher mark bands, especially in extended writing and speaking, you must demonstrate grammatical range.

1. Direct Object Pronouns (lo, la, los, las)

Instead of repeating words like el móvil or las redes sociales, use object pronouns to sound natural.

• lo = it (masculine)
• la = it (feminine)
• los = them (masculine)
• las = them (feminine)

Where do they go?
1. Before a conjugated verb:
• ¿Usas las redes sociales? — Sí, las uso todos los días. (Yes, I use them every day.)
2. Attached to the end of an infinitive:
• Tengo un juego nuevo y quiero descargarlo. (I have a new game and I want to download it.)

2. Mastering the Three Timeframes (Present, Past, Future)

Under Assessment Objective 3 (AO3), examiners reward responses that successfully communicate across multiple timeframes.

Present Tense (Current habits)

• Paso dos horas al día jugando en línea con mis amigos.
(I spend two hours a day playing online with my friends.)

Past Tenses (Preterite and Imperfect)

• Preterite (specific completed event): Ayer jugué una partida emocionante en mi consola.
(Yesterday I played an exciting match on my console.)
• Imperfect (past habit or state): Cuando era más joven, no tenía teléfono móvil ni tableta.
(When I was younger, I didn't have a mobile phone or tablet.)

Future and Conditional (Plans and hypotheticals)

• Simple Future: En el futuro compraré un nuevo ordenador portátil.
(In the future I will buy a new laptop.)
• Conditional / Wishes: Me gustaría pasar menos tiempo delante de la pantalla.
(I would like to spend less time in front of the screen.)

Quick Review: Whenever you answer a writing or speaking question about technology, check your response: Have you included what you used to do, what you do now, and what you would like / will do in the future?

5. Common Pitfalls & Examiner Tips

Avoid these frequent traps identified in official examiner reports:

1. Dropping the preposition with "Jugar":
Never write juego videojuegos. Always write juego a los videojuegos.

2. Inventing Spanglish words:
Do not invent verbs like downloadar. Use descargar or bajar. For "to post/upload", use subir, colgar, or publicar.

3. False Friends:
Remember that la aplicación refers specifically to a software application or app. For a physical game/match, use la partida rather than guessing English cognates.

4. Double-Object Pronoun Traps:
Do not place object pronouns inside split verb phrases. Say Las quiero usar or Quiero usarlas, but never Quiero las usar.

5. Missing the Past or Future:
If a writing prompt asks about your digital habits, do not talk only in the present tense. Include a sentence about what you did yesterday (Ayer descargué una app) or your future plans (El próximo fin de semana jugaré en línea) to unlock higher marks.

Final Tip: Practise reading Spanish social media posts or short technology articles to get comfortable with genuine online vocabulary and sentence structures before exam day!

Quick check

Can you answer these now?

Open each question to check the key ideas from this chapter.

What are the Spanish words for common digital devices such as mobile phone, tablet, computer, laptop, screen, and console?

el móvil / el teléfono móvil (mobile phone), la tableta (tablet), el ordenador (computer), el ordenador portátil (laptop), la pantalla (screen), and la consola (de videojuegos) (games console).

Which Spanish verbs are used for "to upload", "to download", "to share", and "to send messages"?

"To upload/post": colgar, subir, or publicar; "to download": descargar or bajar; "to share": compartir; "to send messages": mandar / enviar mensajes.

What is the crucial grammar rule when using the verb jugar to talk about playing video games or matches?

You must use jugar a followed by the definite article (el, la, los, las), for example: Juego a los videojuegos.

How do you say that you or someone else is "hooked" or "addicted" to a device or social network in Spanish?

Use the phrase estar enganchado/a (a), making sure the adjective agrees in gender with the subject (e.g. Estoy enganchado/a a mi móvil).

How do you express purpose or reason for using technology using the preposition para?

Follow para with an infinitive verb (e.g. Uso mi móvil para estar en contacto con mis amigos).

Where are direct object pronouns (lo, la, los, las) placed in a Spanish sentence?

They are placed either before a conjugated verb or attached directly to the end of an infinitive.

Why is it important to use three different timeframes when discussing technology in GCSE Spanish exams?

Demonstrating past, present, and future timeframes is required to access the higher mark bands in writing and speaking (AO3).

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