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Learn about the customs and celebrations of Easter and La Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Spain.

Nelly Furtado is a singer-songwriter from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Her parents were immigrants from Portugal, and Nelly’s first performances were sung in Portuguese.

She first gained fame with her English-language hit “I’m like a bird.” She has since recorded in English, Spanish and Portuguese. The song “Manos al aire” is from her 2009 Spanish-language album, Mi Plan.

Test your listening comprehension by filling in the missing words.

Diminutives are suffixes that change the meaning of a word, usually a noun, although adjectives and in less measure adverbs, typically to give it the idea of it being small or unimportant. At times they can also be used to express endearment or affection, and on the other hand they can have a derogatory meaning. These suffixes are very common in the Romance languages, but there are also many other language families that have this capability.

Learn more about diminuitives in Spanish with this lesson.