Determining the best possible word to express a concept among several choices.
3
votes
3answers
2k 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?
8
votes
7answers
520 views
¿Qué palabra se usa para describir cuando un pago cubre hasta cierta fecha?
Soy el autor de una aplicación de computadora para administrar Casas de Empeños en Puerto Rico. Cuando un cliente debe tres meses de intereses, podría perder la prenda, pero si solo paga dos meses de ...
6
votes
5answers
1k views
What is the difference between allí and ahí (“there”)?
English
What is the difference between allí and ahí? Is there any difference in pronunciation between the two? Are there any contexts where one is correct and one is wrong, or are they completely ...
7
votes
6answers
177 views
What is the difference between “herramientas” and “útiles?”
My understanding is that they both mean "tools." But could they be references to different types of tools?
¿Cuál es la differencia entre "herramientas" y "útiles?"
Mi entendimiento es que ambos ...
4
votes
5answers
279 views
Translation of “should have”
What are the possible translations of "should have", as in "I should have told you earlier"? What are the differences between "debería (de)", "debí (de)", "debiera (de)", "debía (de)", etc.?
5
votes
2answers
448 views
¿En breve o en breves momentos?
Un presentador de televisión anunciando la casi inmediata aparición de alguna persona. Cual es modo correcto de anunciarlo:
"En breve estaremos con ..."
"En breves momentos estaremos con ..."
"En ...
16
votes
6answers
1k views
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre tú, usted, y vos?
Ya he oido las palabras tú, usted, y vos, pero la traducción de todas esas palabras a Inglés es la misma: you.
¿Cuándo es mejor usar tú o vos en vez de usted, o viceversa?
9
votes
3answers
216 views
“Antier” para expresar el día anterior a ayer
Hace unos días mientras me encontraba cambiando de canal en la televisión por cable, escuche una conversación de una pelicula americana doblada al español. Dos personas estaban en un bar conversando. ...
6
votes
2answers
209 views
“a propósito” vs “de paso” to say “by the way”
How do you say "by the way" in Spanish, as in:
By the way, what's your name?
By the way, where do you live now?
By the way, I met Javier the other day ...
Google Translate shows a ...
6
votes
2answers
2k views
Are there any differences between “de nada” and “por nada”?
Most of the time in all the Spanish speaking countries I've been in I've heard de nada as the reply to gracias or the equivalent of English you're welcome etc.
But after a while I became conscious ...
3
votes
3answers
1k views
Most accurate translation of “possum”
What is the most universal Spanish word to describe a possum? What regional variations exist? Does the translation refer specifically to the same animal as the English word, or does it cover a larger ...
4
votes
3answers
108 views
Adjective for fried food
Español
El día de ayer estuve discutiendo con un amigo sobre como llamar a las comidas que estan fritas. ¿Llamas al pollo "frito" o "freido"?
El pollo está frito
El pollo está freido
Para ...
7
votes
3answers
283 views
What is the difference between 'hallar' and 'encontrar'?
If I find something I lost, should I use 'hallar'?
For example, I found missing keys and said to my wife '¡Hallé las llaves!' she replied '¿Las encontraste?' Then a discussion about Hallar vs ...
8
votes
2answers
149 views
¿Quienes son más afectados por el ustedeo?
He encontrado que varias veces, mi empleo del español en conversación es afectado por el llamado "ustedeo". Afecta mis relaciones con gente que acabo de conocer, porque muchas personas piensan que ...
3
votes
6answers
953 views
Proper response to “¿Qué me cuentas?”
What's the proper way to respond to the question ¿Qué me cuentas?
It seems to often be used as a sort of "What's up?" type question, similar to ¿Como estas? or ¿Que tal?
However, answering with ...
4
votes
3answers
585 views
Understanding ya vs. todavía vs. aún
English speakers learning Spanish have a hard time understanding the similarities and differences between ya, todavía, and aún (or aun). They don't perfectly match up with the similar English words ...
6
votes
1answer
139 views
¿Existe un equivalente en español para “foo”, “bar”, “baz”?
En programación es usual encontrar los términos foobar, foo, bar, baz y qux como variables metasintácticas (placeholders, en inglés) que sirven para referirse a variables, funciones o a comandos cuyo ...
4
votes
2answers
123 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
1answer
7k views
¿Cómo se dice, “a caso” o “acaso”?
En español, cual de las dos siguiente es la forma correcta para hacer la pregunta:
¿A caso estuviste ahí?
o se debe de decir:
¿Acaso estuviste ahí?
3
votes
1answer
139 views
Differences between “preocupado” and “molesto?”
They can both mean troubled or worried, based on my reading of Google Translate. But are there subtle differences in usage or context between them?
16
votes
5answers
3k views
When to use ya and todavía
What are the rules for when to use ya and todavía? (Or ya no and todavía no)?
In many contexts, ya translates to yet or already, and todavía translates to still, but this simple understanding has ...
5
votes
1answer
110 views
¿Como se traduciría al español “crunch time”?
En ingles existe la palabra "crunch time":
A critical period of time during which it is necessary to work hard
and fast.
Un periodo crítico de tiempo en el que es necesario trabajar duro y
...
11
votes
4answers
251 views
Translation of “bug” to Spanish
What is the best way to translate "bug", as in a misfeature of a computer program or device?
Google translate offers a few options, none of which quite seem to fit, except the term itself:
bug ...
6
votes
3answers
882 views
How do I say “You're making me hungry?”
A friend was describing some food she's making. I wanted to say "You're making me hungry" or "That makes me hungry." What's the proper way to say this?
My first thought was to say something like:
...
4
votes
2answers
186 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 ...
3
votes
2answers
156 views
Difference between vegetales and verduras? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“Vegetable”: verdura vs. vegetal
My understanding is that they can both refer to "vegetables." But verduras also translates into "greens." So what's the ...
1
vote
1answer
126 views
Synonyms for big (grande), as in volume?
I'm trying to find a proper synonym for "grande", as in the quality of three dimensional objects of occupying space, to use with a regular object, such as a "big dog". I'll explain my specific ...
5
votes
4answers
260 views
What is the difference between “ser cierto” and “ser verdad”?
The English "to be true" can be translated to Spanish as either ser cierto or ser verdad. What is the difference between the two? When would you use one instead of the other?
22
votes
10answers
2k views
How should I ask someone to repeat something they've said?
When I learned Spanish in school, I was taught to never say ¿Qué? when I needed someone to repeat something they just said. Rather I was taught to say ¿Cómo? Later, my wife taught me to say ¿Mande? ...
6
votes
3answers
379 views
What is the most universal way to say “keep the change”?
Español
He escuchado unas pocas opiniones distintas para decir "quédate con el cambio" (es decir, lo que le dices a alguien a quien acabas de pagar cuando cuando quieres que se quede la diferencia ...
5
votes
3answers
146 views
Do mi and mío have different connotations?
I usually use the possessives mi and mío interchangeably.
For example:
Esta es la casa mía.
Esta es mi casa.
However, do the two have different connotations? (e.g. is one more formal ...
6
votes
7answers
2k views
How might you say a child is “cute” in Spanish?
Suppose you see a mother with a laughing little 2-year-old. In English, we might exclaim, "how cute!"
I've had trouble saying this in Spanish. The word "cute" means something like "beautiful", but it ...
7
votes
1answer
399 views
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre honor y honra?
Hace poco me di cuenta de que existen dos palabras en español que equivalen a la palabra "honor" en inglés: honor y honra. ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre estas dos palabras? ¿Cuál es más común?
3
votes
1answer
91 views
Words for on purpose, accidentally, intentionally, unintentionally, etc
English has several words or phrases to express that something was done with or without the person meaning to do it:
purposefully (or on purpose)
accidentally (or on accident)
intentionally
...
8
votes
3answers
450 views
“You look good” versus “You smell good”
It is my understanding that "you look good" translates as, "te ves bien" and that you see well (as in, your vision is good) can be said as "tu ves bien."
However, saying you smell good and your ...
6
votes
2answers
82 views
Regional differences between escuchar and oír
In school I learned that escuchar was for the English "to listen to" and oír was "to hear." In Central America, however, I frequently heard escuchar being used for "to hear" (e.g. No te escucho ...
9
votes
1answer
466 views
How should I discuss my wife's due date?
How do I tell people when my wife's due date is? I usually say something like "el bebé se debe nacer el cuatro de junio" but I don't know if that's the correct way to say it.
14
votes
4answers
1k views
“Está hecho de…” why not “es hecho de”?
I've seen "Está hecho de ..." used to mean "It's made of ...".
Why is the verb estar and not ser? Isn't this an adjective that's permanent and not going to change?
I can understand phrases like "la ...
4
votes
2answers
134 views
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre “por lo tanto” y “por tanto”?
Según la RAE:
por lo ~.
loc. adv. Por consiguiente, por lo que antes se ha dicho, por el motivo o las razones de que acaba de hablarse. U. t. c. loc. conjunt.
por tanto.
loc. adv. Por lo que, ...
2
votes
2answers
174 views
What is the rule for cualquier, cualquiera, and cualesquiera?
I remember learning the rule for when to use cualquier, cualquiera, and cualesquiera, but was always confused about the exact differences. When should each be used, and what role do number, gender, ...
2
votes
1answer
495 views
Describing the common cold or flu in Spanish
In English, when talking about common viruses people often get, there are generally two categories:
a cold is generally more mild and can come with runny nose, sneezing, coughing, sore throat, etc.
...
5
votes
3answers
156 views
Correct usage of debieras and deberías
Español
¿Cuándo es correcto usar deberías o debieras? (significado y uso).
English
When is it correct to use deberías or debieras? (meaning and uses)
1
vote
3answers
84 views
Difference between “salvo” and “salvado” (religion)
For expressing the religious concept of being "saved," what is the difference between salvo and salvado? Is there any difference in connotation or formality of the two words? Are there any contexts ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
accommodating (as in “Thanks for being so accommodating”)
If someone has been very kind in adjusting their schedule and making sacrifices to help you, in English you might say, "Thanks for being so accommodating!"
What is the most natural translation of ...
9
votes
3answers
227 views
How to say “My old teacher”
If you say "Mi profesor viejo," your indicating your teacher old age-wise. I was wondering how you indicate that your talking about a past teacher.
3
votes
1answer
899 views
“pensando en ti” vs. “pensando de ti” vs. “pensándote”
When using the verb pensar to describe thinking about a person, there are at least three options:
Estoy pensando en ti.
Estoy pensando de ti.
Estoy pensándote.
What are the differences between ...
4
votes
5answers
720 views
Expressing past belief (creí vs. creía vs. pensé vs. pensaba)
When expressing in Spanish something that you believed or thought in the past, there are four options:
Creí que ...
Creía que ...
Pensé que ...
Pensaba que ...
I learned that creía que was the ...
11
votes
3answers
168 views
“My kind of ___” in Spanish
Español
He estado buscando una manera de decir "My kind of _" en español. O una frase equivalente (que creo que es más adecuado y preferible). Como la manera que un americano (EE. UU.) diría: "this ...
1
vote
2answers
170 views
Translating “shrewd” (as in “a shrewd businessman”)
The English word "shrewd" (as in "a shrewd businessman") describes someone who is sharp, clever, crafty, or cunning. For example, a shrewd businessman might come up with a coupon offer that seems ...
2
votes
3answers
209 views
Translation of “raw milk”
How do I refer to raw (unpastuerized) milk in Spanish?
Leche cruda is the obvious translation, but I have learned that cruda and raw have some different uses and subtleties about them.
And I know ...
