Determining the best possible word to express a concept among several choices.
5
votes
2answers
233 views
What is the correct way to say the days of a month?
People refer to the days of the month as following:
1 de enero = uno de enero o primero de enero.
2 de enero = dos de enero.
3 de enero = tres de enero.
...
Example:
Hoy es primero de enero.
...
5
votes
1answer
348 views
“Echar” vs “tirar” vs “lanzar” vs “arrojar” vs “disparar” (to throw)
The basic meaning of them all as I understand it is:
To throw
Disparar seems to pertain exclusively to shooting or throwing something for the sole purpose of harming (maybe to shoot is the best ...
5
votes
1answer
67 views
How are «parecer», «semejante», and «similar» used to express sameness?
What is the difference between different ways of expressing similarity? I see things like,
La niña parece a su hermana.
Compró dos vestidos semejantes.
Quiere una fiesta de cumpleaños similar a la ...
5
votes
2answers
132 views
Can Spanish distinguish between “lonely” and “alone”?
I learned that solo in Spanish means both "alone" (the simple fact of not having anyone else around) and "lonely" (feeling sad because of being alone). Is there any way of distinguishing between these ...
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?
5
votes
1answer
85 views
Uses of “SE” : se discutió
Can you see the difference between no. 6 and no. 7?
Are there any differences in meaning?
Could you please answer the questions below?
6, En el coloquio se discutió un tema interesante.
6a, ...
5
votes
2answers
255 views
How should we translate “everything but the kitchen sink” or “the whole enchilada”?
There is an idiom that is popular (and old) in English that states "everything but the kitchen sink". This is a phrase that means "everything that could be conceived".
Som examples:
"I realized ...
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.?
4
votes
5answers
198 views
“Fall in love with” (non-romantic)
English:
In English, you can use the phrase "to fall in love with" with people who you aren't literally in love with. For example, when talking about children, you might say:
You just fall in ...
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 ...
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
252 views
Names of mythical beings/creatures
Another question I asked made me realize that English has many names for mythical beings. Many of these can refer to both a historical myth or superstition as well as a more modern definition (in ...
4
votes
2answers
102 views
¿Es verdad que la palabra 'alrededor' tiene el origen árabe?
Me interesa si ¿la palabra 'alrededor' (o 'al rededor') tiene el origen árabe?
¿Sabeis otras palabras con el mismo origen?
4
votes
2answers
230 views
Describing stress in Spanish
In Spanish class, I remember learning that "stress" (as in what someone who is coming up on a deadline feels) isn't commonly spoken of in Spanish-speaking countries for cultural reasons, but it can be ...
4
votes
1answer
414 views
Translation: “To wish” expressing regret
How would you translate sentences like:
'I wish I had remembered that earlier.'
'I wish I had made the most of it while I still could.'
There are a few ways to say I wish in Spanish, but I ...
4
votes
3answers
115 views
4
votes
3answers
338 views
Translation of “Take ___ for granted”
I have heard this phrase a lot of times before in forms like:
Take (anything) for granted.
Don't take (anything) for granted.
I'm not sure about how to translate it:
Dar (algo) por ...
4
votes
2answers
585 views
Translating “How long does it take to get from <here> to <there>?”
What is the most natural and common way to ask how much time it takes to get from one location to another? For example:
How long does it take to get from Guadalajara to Mexico City?
How long does it ...
4
votes
2answers
117 views
¿Qué palabra se usa para describir a alguien que suda mucho?
¿Qué palabra es adecuada para describir a una persona que suda mucho?
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 ...
4
votes
2answers
503 views
“Vegetable”: verdura vs. vegetal
What is the difference between verduras and vegetales? In what situations can one be used as a translation for "vegetables" and the other cannot?
4
votes
1answer
118 views
Spanish words for couple, few, handful, several, etc
In English, there are various words to express a small quality of something:
a couple (two of something)
a few (a small number, maybe around 3-5)
a handful (another vague expression for a small ...
4
votes
4answers
323 views
Translating “Slow down!” (in informal contexts)
English
WordReference translates "slow down" as disminuir la velocidad or desacelerar. But those sound pretty precise or technical to me. How would you translate "Slow down!" in other, more informal ...
4
votes
1answer
148 views
Gusto variant of the verb gustar
When I thought I finally had it figured out... I was confronted with the following phrase which obviously must mean:
I liked the story of your friend.
Which for me logically translates to.
...
4
votes
2answers
576 views
Translating “If (request), that would be great.”
In English, I often use the formula, "If (request), that would be great."
For example:
If you could go to the supermarket after work, that would be great.
If it's possible for you to finish ...
4
votes
2answers
114 views
Difference between “un poco de” and “un poco”
What is the difference between the use of "un poco de" and "un poco"?
Why can't we say "Es un poco de moreno"(He has a little dark skin.) but "Es un poco moreno."??
Could you please provide some ...
4
votes
2answers
335 views
Translation of “to talk behind someone's back”
What is the typical Spanish translation of the English idiom "to talk behind someone's back" (as in saying something bad about another person to others instead of to them directly)?
4
votes
1answer
110 views
Different words for “hole”
Spanish has several words that could be translated "hole" in English:
hoyo
agujero
hueco
bache
boquete
brecha
madriguera
What are the differences between these words? In what situations can each ...
4
votes
5answers
291 views
¿Cuál es la palabra más generalmente aceptada para decir “calzado deportivo”?
Desde hace mucho tiempo he tenido esta duda, pero recientemente en esta pregunta nuevos zapatos por/para España? me surgió nuevamente.
Yo siempre creí que la palabra "zapatilla" era la más ...
4
votes
1answer
431 views
Translation of “to catch up” (sharing recent happenings with someone you haven't seen lately)
In English, "to catch up (with each other)" can be used to describe two people that haven't seen each other in a while that are sharing recent events in their lives with each other. For example:
"I ...
4
votes
3answers
1k views
Why “¿Cómo te llamas?” means “¿Cuál es tu nombre?”?
Why does "¿Cómo te llamas?" mean "¿Cuál es tu nombre?". After all, it literally means "How do you call yourself?". Yet, most of the time, you don't call yourself anything; rather, other people call ...
4
votes
1answer
117 views
Translating “break” (during work)
In the US, it is common for workers to take a half-hour or hour lunch break in the middle of the day, plus two ten or fifteen minute breaks in the morning and afternoon. Spanish has many words that ...
4
votes
2answers
172 views
¿Qué significa “jalar” en México?
¿Cuál es el significado de "jalar" para cada uno de estos ejemplos?
A pesar de que esta televisión la compré apenas el año pasado, ya no jala.
Ya no estés de ocioso, ¡ponte a jalar!
...
4
votes
5answers
173 views
Distinguishing “quiz” and “test”
In American English, a "quiz" is like a "test" or "exam," but it is typically shorter (in length and duration) and less heavily weighted. In Spanish class I learned "test" was examen and "quiz" was ...
4
votes
3answers
2k views
What is the difference between “De nada” and “No hay de qué”?
I am learning Spanish and ran across "De nada" and "No hay de qué". Both mean "You're welcome" . What's the difference?
4
votes
2answers
179 views
Understanding “desde ya”
I have heard the phrase "desde ya" used to mean "in advance." Literally, it means "since already." How is it understood to mean "in advance," or is it simply an idiom with a nonsense literal meaning? ...
4
votes
1answer
132 views
Do “alborada”, “amanecer”, and “madrugada” refer to the same thing?
In English we have the two words "dawn" and "sunrise".
But in Spanish there are three words, "alborada", "amanecer", and "madrugada".
Do the three Spanish words refer to the same thing? Or is one ...
4
votes
5answers
162 views
“Tener un objeto consigo” vs “Llevar un objeto encima”?
¿Cuál de las dos construcciones es más idiomática y por qué?
Tener un objeto consigo
Llevar un objeto encima
La pregunta es simple, pero es importante los recursos que se den para sustentar ...
4
votes
3answers
586 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 ...
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?
4
votes
2answers
82 views
Usage of “millar” vs “millón”
First the context. There are two similar words that cannot be confused:
Millar → Conjunto de mil unidades. → Set of one thousand elements.
Millón ...
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 ...
4
votes
3answers
235 views
Translating “I'm bad with [remembering] something”
In English, you can say:
I'm horrible with names.
I'm bad with faces.
I'm really bad with directions.
What is the most natural way in Spanish of expressing that you are bad at remembering ...
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, ...
4
votes
1answer
74 views
Using female nouns to refer to males, how are adjectives affected?
Here is an English example where someone is referring to a man as a turtle:
That turtle is slow. He is angry because he will not win. (calling that man a turtle)
In Spanish, the referenced ...
3
votes
3answers
679 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 ...
3
votes
6answers
276 views
How to say “become” in Spanish?
I can think of at least two different words for "to become" in Spanish. They are "hacerse" and "ponerse."
What's the difference? My understanding is "hacerse" is to become in an ACTIVE way. The ...
3
votes
4answers
774 views
Translating “young man” and “young woman”
In English, we use the phrases "young man" and "young woman" to refer to a person (usually an adolescent) who is older than a "boy" or "girl" but younger than an "adult." It generally indicates ...
3
votes
3answers
197 views
Translating “Help!” (interjection)
In English, if there is any kind of emergency or urgent assistance needed, we use the interjection, "Help!" In Spanish I've seen several:
¡Socorro!
¡Auxilio!
¡Ayuda! or ¡Ayúdame!
Which of these is ...
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 ...
