The meanings-definitions tag has no wiki summary.
5
votes
3answers
499 views
What's the meaning of “Y yo voy y me lo creo”?
What's the meaning of "Y yo voy y me lo creo"? I encountered it in a Spanish novel. With 146,000 Google.es hits, it seems to be a set expression. Context helps, but doesn't remove all doubts.
2
votes
3answers
316 views
Latinoamérica, Hispanoamérica, or Sudamérica?
Latinoamérica, Hispanoamérica, Sudamérica or other?
For someone living in Venezuela or Chile, for example, what term would I be most likely to hear to describe countries south of the US?
The terms ...
3
votes
3answers
637 views
Translation of “awkward” (as in “an awkward situation”)
In English, the word "awkward" can be used to describe a situation that is uncomfortable and embarrassing (but neither word seems to fully describe what "awkward" describes). What is the best ...
1
vote
2answers
126 views
Spanish words for cap, cover, lid, etc
What Spanish words can be used to describe a cap, cover, lid, or top (in other words, something placed on top of something, usually to close an opening)? What is the difference between tapa and tapón? ...
1
vote
2answers
1k views
What does “chepa” mean in Nicaraguan Spanish?
What does the word chepa mean when used to refer to a person in Nicaraguan Spanish? What are some examples of how it is used?
3
votes
2answers
3k views
Translation of “ni modo”
The phrase ni modo is used in many varieties of Spanish to mean many different things. What are its possible meanings? Which meaning is most common (i.e. which meaning would you assume if ni modo was ...
5
votes
1answer
224 views
A good word for “quest” in Spanish
The translation for Quest is "búsqueda" but it just does not work properly. In English we say "I'm on a quest for the holy grail" this is not quite the same as "I'm searching for the holy grail." So ...
2
votes
1answer
247 views
Literal and metaphorical translation of “duende”
I have read that duende can mean both a mythical creature or, metaphorically, a kind of magical sensation to something. What exactly does duende refer to in both senses? How would both of these senses ...
0
votes
1answer
177 views
Speakers' location in determining venir vs. ir
In English, we use the word "come" very loosely (at least in day-to-day spoken English):
Want to come over to my place later?
Can I come over to your house for New Years'?
Can you come meet me at ...
2
votes
1answer
75 views
Best English translation of “conmoción”
I was told the Spanish word conmoción refers to a strong feeling of shock or emotion shared by a group of people rather than an individual. It seems like English doesn't have a single word or phrase ...
5
votes
2answers
479 views
When does sólo have an accent?
When does the word solo have an accent (tilde) on the first o (sólo)? When does it not?
2
votes
1answer
284 views
Translating “I don't trust you” (said casually)
I have heard that confiar is a strong word, implying trust and confidence in someone or something. What then is the right way to translate more casual uses of the word "trust"?
For example, let's say ...
6
votes
2answers
794 views
What does the “lo” in “pasarlo bien” refer to?
The phrase pasarlo bien means something like "to have a good time" in sentences like, "Lo pasamos muy bien anoche." What does the "lo" in this phrase refer to? Does it replace an actual noun, or is it ...
5
votes
2answers
124 views
Usage of “ver(se)” for “to seem/look” (te ves, se te ve, te veo, etc.)
The verb ver can be used in a few different constructions to convey how something looks or seems:
Te ves bonita.
Se te ve mal.
Te veo bien.
For the reflexive constructions, the WordReference entry ...
7
votes
4answers
1k views
What's the meaning of the expression “nada que ver”?
What's the meaning of the expression "nada que ver"?
In which countries is used?
Here are some examples:
Lo que dices no tiene nada que ver con lo que estamos discutiendo.
Conversation between ...
-4
votes
1answer
573 views
Why does “no sé” mean “I don't know?” [closed]
If "no" means "no", and if "se" means "is", why does "no sé" mean "I don't know"?
This has been a bit of stumbling block for me as I learn the language. I as learn how to learn, I like to know the ...
6
votes
2answers
677 views
How can I say “colmo” properly in English?
There is an expression in Spanish to denote something that is absurd or unexpected. Usually it can be the maximum expression of expertise and talent.
I wondered about this mainly because in Spanish ...
5
votes
1answer
64 views
What does the Mexican term “predialazo” refer to?
There's a word whose definition has been requested on Wiktionary (perhaps by me but I can't remember) that seems to be mostly used in Mexico if you Google for it:
predialazo
But it's not in the ...
6
votes
4answers
649 views
What exactly is “repocheta”?
Another food related question I collected on my trip through Central America five years ago is
repocheta
Again it's not in Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Larousse Gran Diccionario, Google Translate, or ...
4
votes
4answers
186 views
What does “sobadito” mean?
Here is one more food word I collected in Costa Rica:
sobadito
In my notes I have only written that it has some connection with food. It's from about five years ago so I don't recall anything ...
3
votes
3answers
474 views
What is “surime”?
I've been trawling through my collection of interesting Spanish words and found one more wich is not in the DRAE, Wiktionary, Larousse Gran Diccionario, Wikipedia, or Google Translate.
surime
My ...
3
votes
1answer
174 views
What does “tracatera” mean?
I've been collecting unusual Spanish words for years. I've been going through them to find any that are not in my dictionaries and found this one:
tracatera f
It's not in the DRAE, it's not in ...
8
votes
3answers
389 views
Words that mean different things in the preterite
There are some verbs that seem to have quite distinct meanings in the preterite tense. I don't know whether they also seem to change meanings to native speakers or if it just seems completely natural ...
6
votes
5answers
414 views
Definition of escuela and colegio
Spanish has two generic words for school: escuela and colegio. I have heard different explanations for what phases of schooling each word refers to. For example, I've been told that colegio refers ...
7
votes
3answers
634 views
Age range of niño, chico, muchacho, joven, etc
Spanish has several words for referring to children:
niño/niña
chico/chica
muchacho/muchacha
joven
Some dialects add others like chavo or chavalo.
What are the approximate age ranges these words ...
5
votes
1answer
93 views
What is apercibido?
Today I looked for the word desapercibido in the RAE and found the following:
desapercibido, da.
adj. No apercibido.
Now, I know what desapercibido means, but then I was curious about ...
5
votes
1answer
109 views
Was the word “bomb” only used as slang in Chile and only in the '80s?
In the hit novel Mala honda by Chilean author Alberto Fuguet I remember the word "bomb" being used a lot.
It's obviously a slang word. I think it was only used in dialogue. I got the impression it ...
6
votes
1answer
164 views
What's the origin of the Panamanian word “biñuelo”? Is it merely a corruption of “buñuelo”?
I was in Panama about five years ago and there was a common deep fried street food called "biñuelo".
Of course there's a regular Spanish word "buñuelo" which means fritter.
So is "biñuelo" just the ...
5
votes
1answer
48 views
What does “barrocanrolera” mean?
In the novel Los años con Laura Diaz by top Mexican author Carlos Fuentes there is a word, "barrocanrolera", which is not in the DRAE, the Gran diccionario Larousse, Wiktionary, or Google Translate.
...
7
votes
3answers
565 views
“Maje” (or “mae”) in Nicaraguan Spanish
What does the word "maje" (pronounced "mae") mean in Nicaraguan Spanish? Could the word be considered offensive, and, if so, in what contexts is it appropriate to use?
3
votes
3answers
1k views
“Dale pues” in Nicaraguan Spanish
In Nicaragua, the phrase "dale pues" is very frequently used. What does the phrase mean, and in what contexts can it be used?
