The meanings-definitions tag has no wiki summary.
10
votes
2answers
207 views
Why does saber mean both “to know” and “to taste”?
Español
Cuando aprendía español, estaba muy confundido cuando aprendí que saber significa "to know" y "to taste". Los dos verbos en inglés me parecen muy diferentes. ¿Cómo puede ser esto? ¿Cuál es la ...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
“True” meaning of “por cierto”
I have always thought of the expression of "por cierto" as meaning "certainly" or "surely." It certainly "looks" that way (for certainly). And even Google Translate gives it that meaning, as well as ...
10
votes
1answer
131 views
Chorizo como sinónimo de ladrón
¿Por qué en España la palabra "chorizo" es coloquialmente usada para referirse a los ladrones?
9
votes
1answer
110 views
Plug vs Socket: Interchangeable?
Many dictionaries that I have looked at online seem to use enchufe as a word that is interchangeable for the English words plug and socket, which are two related, but distinct objects. Some ...
8
votes
2answers
187 views
¿Qué significa “de pe a pa”?
¿Cúal es el significado de la siguiente expresión "de pe a pa"?
Por ejemplo:
Tienes que aprenderte esto de pe a pa.
8
votes
3answers
201 views
¿Qué significa 'va' en “Nos vemos después, ¿va?”
Hoy, por chat, una amiga (de México) dijo:
Nos vemos depués, ¿va?
Entiendo "Nos vemos después", pero qué significa "va" en este contexto?
8
votes
3answers
963 views
¿Qué significa en Argentina “al pedo”?
He escuchado y leído a argentinos decir "al pedo", por ejemplo, "estoy al pedo". Es evidente que NO se refiere a "estar pedo", que significa "estar borracho" en algunos sitios.
¿Qué significa "estar ...
8
votes
4answers
117 views
¿Qué significa “siempre sí” y “siempre no”?
Este fin de semana estaba en un hotel con una amiga esperando a otros amigos para salir juntos. Mi amiga dijo a la recepcionista: -"Estamos esperando unos amigos. ¿Usted puede avisarnos cuando ...
8
votes
3answers
387 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 ...
8
votes
1answer
107 views
¿Hay diferentes palabras para el hermano de una esposa, y el esposo de una hermana?
Sé que la traduccion de la frase “brother-in-law“ es “cuñado“. ¿“Cuñado" se refiere al hermano de una esposa, el esposo de una hermana, o los dos?
8
votes
2answers
195 views
¿Qué tipo de palabra es «alto»?
En las intersecciones, es común ver una señal roja y octagonal que dice "alto", el mismo tipo de señal que en inglés dice stop.
En inglés, stop es un verbo imperativo, pero no creo que haya un verbo ...
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 ...
7
votes
5answers
403 views
Difference Between “Computadora” and “Ordenador”
Español
Ví un cartel fuera de una tienda que decía: "Computadoras y ordenadores" en un cuadro "cubano" fuera de New York City,
En un principio, creo que ambas palabras significan "computer". Pero, ...
7
votes
1answer
108 views
¿Cuál es el origen del frase “media naranja”?
He oído la frase "media naranja" unas veces, y puedo entender el contexto, que significa una pareja o novia, por ejemplo. Pero quiero saber el origen de esa frase. A mi, ese frase me parece muy rara.
...
7
votes
3answers
507 views
Usage of fea and rico
I'm learning Spanish with Rosetta Stone. The lesson I am currently on has two examples that I don't completely understand.
La leche está fea
El pan está rico
"Fea" seems to be translated ...
7
votes
3answers
553 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?
7
votes
3answers
623 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 ...
6
votes
5answers
412 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 ...
6
votes
4answers
640 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 ...
6
votes
2answers
72 views
¿Cómo se llama la característica que tiene el español, y otros idiomas, por la que las vocales siempre se pronuncian de la misma manera?
Me gustaría saber cómo se llama cuando los sonidos de las vocales escritas suenan siempre de la misma manera al pronunciarlas.
Una vez me topé con la definición, pero esta vez no tuve mucha suerte en ...
6
votes
2answers
667 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 ...
6
votes
2answers
449 views
“después que” vs. “después de que”
Along the lines of another question I asked, what is the difference between después que and después de que? Is the situation the same as for antes? When are they synonymous, and when is one correct ...
6
votes
2answers
789 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 ...
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
2answers
468 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?
5
votes
3answers
153 views
What is the ingredient “royal”?
I bought a cake like snack in Costa Rica called Gato Guayaba. I was trying to figure out what was in it, so I read the following ingredients list:
Ingredientes: Margarina, huevos, royal, azùcar, ...
5
votes
3answers
494 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.
5
votes
2answers
152 views
What is the difference between “Entrometido” and “Entremetido”?
The definition of entrometido in the rae just sends you to entremetido.
Is there a real difference between the two? And if there isn't then why are there two words with exactly the same meaning. ...
5
votes
4answers
104 views
Difference between “volver” and “regresar”
I understand that both "volver" and "regresar" can mean "to return" as in:
Tengo que regresar mañana...
Tengo que volver mañana...
Is there any difference between these two words? If so, ...
5
votes
1answer
168 views
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre comer y comerse?
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre el verbo normal comer y su forma reflexiva comerse? Si los significados son iguales, ¿cuál es la diferencia de connotación? Y, ¿se usa el reflexivo de la misma manera en ...
5
votes
3answers
133 views
añorar vs extrañar
I was wondering if there were any difference between these two verbs, especially in their usual respective contexts.
Bonus point for pointing out differences between Argentina and Spain as well (if ...
5
votes
3answers
106 views
¿Hay una diferencia entre “restaurante” y “restauran”?
¿Cuál es la diferencia, si la hay, entre "restaurante" y "restauran"?
He escuchado la palabra "restauran" algunas veces, pero recientemente la vi en una señal también:
¿Son sinónimos?
5
votes
3answers
159 views
What is the difference between “ser casado” and “estar casado”?
I have read that both ser and estar can be used with casado to give different connotations to the phrase "to be married." What exactly are the differences, and when would you use each verb?
5
votes
3answers
392 views
What is “ya va” in Venezuelan Spanish?
I heard the expression "llava" / "ya va" (?) being used in Venezuelan Spanish. It seems to have the meaning of "wait a moment", but my Mexican friend don't understand it.
Does anyone who know what ...
5
votes
2answers
121 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 ...
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
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.
...
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 ...
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 ...
5
votes
2answers
99 views
Difference between “igual” and “como”
I was listening to Carlos Varela's "Una Palabra" and noticed sometimes he uses "igual" for "like" and sometimes "como". I am knowing that "igual" is used more similarities, but what separates it from ...
5
votes
1answer
222 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 ...
4
votes
2answers
178 views
Spanish translation for “also”?
My understanding is the también, and asimismo can both be translated from Spanish as also.
Yet there appear to be some subtle differences. What are they? For instance, does asimismo also mean ...
4
votes
2answers
122 views
Spanish words for “loop”
I was recently reading a review of a Spanish-English dictionary that picked "loop" as a good example of a word with many possible translations into Spanish. I looked around and found several ...
4
votes
2answers
293 views
¿Cuándo se le pone tilde a más? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Difference between “mas” and “más”
The question is quite simple.
When does mas have an accent? Mas can mean more but it has other meanings as well.
Can someone ...
4
votes
2answers
149 views
Significado de “presente” en una carta. ¿Se escribe dos puntos después del destinatario?
Por ejemplo, suelo encontrar los encabezados de las cartas como sigue:
Cierta ciudad, Cierto país,
...
4
votes
4answers
185 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 ...
4
votes
2answers
123 views
¿Qué significa “tuanis”?
¿Cuál es el significado de la palabra tuanis? ¿Se escribe tuani o tuanis? ¿En cuáles regiones se usa? Y, ¿es una palabra muy informal, o se puede usarla en otros contextos también?
4
votes
1answer
62 views
'Controlar' en lenguaje formal
En el Metro de Madrid, así como en otros lugares en España, aconsejan al usuario por megafonía que "Controle sus pertenencias en todo momento, por su seguridad."
Me da la impresión de que Controlar, ...
4
votes
2answers
58 views
Sostenernos de una sombra
Spanish
Significado difícil: "sostenernos de una sombra". ¿Se refiere a una sustancia superior?
English
Difficult meаning: "sostenernos de una
sombra". Is it said about а superior substance?
...
3
votes
3answers
624 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 ...
