How best to render a tricky Spanish word or expression in English or one from some language in Spanish.
3
votes
4answers
13k views
congratulations: felicidades vs. felicitaciones
English
I have heard both ¡Felicidades! and ¡Felicitaciones! as translations of the interjection, "Congratulations!"
What is the difference between the two, and when is each used?
Español
He ...
4
votes
8answers
576 views
How would you translate the word “badass” to Spanish?
I was thinking maybe of "cabrón" or "chingon" ; however I think those two sound too Mexican specific. Does anybody know a better and less region specific equivalent?
3
votes
6answers
161 views
Proper way to express the time of a flight
I need to say "My flight is at 10". I can imagine several translations:
Mi vuelo esta a las 10.
Mi vuelo es a las 10.
Mi vuelo sale a las 10.
Yo vuelo a las 10.
Are any of these ...
6
votes
4answers
7k views
Where did “pico de gallo” get its name?
Does pico de gallo (the type of salsa) literally translate as "rooster's beak"? If so, where did it get that name, and how does that describe the salsa?
2
votes
3answers
95 views
Best Spanish translation for “Visit Google Maps for [address]”
What’s the best Spanish translation for “Visit Google Maps for [address]” or “Look up [address] on Google Maps”? (Of course, [address] is supposed to be replaced by any street address.)
If it helps, ...
2
votes
4answers
73 views
On the fly / sobre la marcha
Still with software science translations.. Now I'm coming to you with this expression that have always bothered me: "on the fly"
How the hood would you translate that elegantly to spanish?
It feels ...
3
votes
3answers
56 views
How to translate “News Junkie” to Spanish?
Does anyone know what would be the right translation of the term "news junkie" to Spanish?
Or a term which better fits as most used translation for it?
4
votes
4answers
185 views
¿Existe la palabra “modularizar” en español?
En ciencias computacionales es común utilizar el término "modularizar", para denotar algo que se divide en módulos (herencia del inglés "modularize").
Sin embargo, mi procesador de textos (Word) no ...
5
votes
2answers
89 views
Colloquial translation of 'make it up' (to someone)
I've been trying to translate the english idea of 'making it up to someone'.
When you couldn't go to a birthday party or you broke a vase in your friends mums house and you say to them:
No, I'm ...
3
votes
4answers
124 views
Meaning of “andar de vago(a)”
I have heard this phrase, and several similar around the word "vago", but I don't really understand what it means.
The word "vago" seems to translate directly to "vague"... But what does this sort of ...
2
votes
3answers
109 views
Translation of “twang”
In English (at least American English), "twang" is an onomatopoeia describing the sound of a plucked or vibrating string. It also describes a characteristic of that sound (more common in, say, country ...
3
votes
1answer
60 views
Remind me to give it to you
Which, if either, of these are correct for "Remind me to give it to you".
Recuérdeme dártelo.
Recuérdeme que te lo dé.
12
votes
1answer
257 views
How to avoid the lexical redundancy in the literal Spanish translation of “to ask a question”?
In English we have different words for the verb to ask and the noun question.
But in Spanish to ask is preguntar and question is pregunta.
This always causes me to stumble when speaking Spanish and ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
“xq” in Internet slang/abbreviations
In informal chat conversations online, I have seen Spanish speakers write the abbreviation "xq." What does this stand for, and why?
1
vote
1answer
51 views
how to translate the software specific expression “how to” in Castellano?
There's something in software or websites that is called a "how-to" section, it is like a frequently asked questions (faq) section but with a content closer to be a tutorial of how to do something in ...
5
votes
2answers
268 views
Different words for “stop”
In English, we have a fairly generic verb "to stop" that can be used in many different contexts. For example:
Stop talking to me!
The driver saw the red light and stopped his car.
You really need to ...
2
votes
3answers
410 views
Translation of “real estate”
I have read that "real estate" can be translated as:
bienes raíces
bienes inmuebles
inmuebles
What is the difference between these terms, and which is the most generic translation of "real ...
6
votes
5answers
155 views
Equivalent phrase for the modern english 'Moot Point'?
Although the origins of 'moot point', appear to have the opposite meaning,
I'm wondering does anybody have a short phrase in Spanish for the modern meaning:
something irrelevant or not valid for ...
2
votes
1answer
83 views
Differences between “razón de,” “razón por la que,” and “razón para”
I think I've heard three ways of translating "the reason [something happened]" or "the reason [for something]":
la razón para
la razón de
la razón por la que
What is the difference between these ...
2
votes
3answers
61 views
Translation of “audio signalling”
How do I translate "audio signalling of each detected particle"
I was trying:
Señalización de audio para cada particula detectada
or
Señalamiento con audio para cada particula detectada
...
2
votes
2answers
120 views
How can you translate the word “whatsoever” to spanish?
I've been struggling to find an accurate expression that translates to Spanish the word "whatsoever".
7
votes
2answers
156 views
¿Qué significa “la tercera edad”?
Una amiga me dijo:
Estoy a cargo de mamá que es una señora de la tercera edad.
¿Qué significa "la tercera edad"?
4
votes
3answers
92 views
Cómo decir “college dropout”?
Aparentemente no hay una traducción exacta del frase inglés "college dropout" ... la mejor que podria encontrar es "estudiante que abandona la universidad antes de graduarse", cual me parece ...
3
votes
2answers
124 views
What is the abbreviation for World War II?
¿Cómo se acorta la frase "II Guerra Mundial"?
How do we shorten the phrase "World War II" in Spanish?
We could say "II Guerra Mundial" or "IIGM". Is that standard?
It came up since I was writing ...
9
votes
7answers
649 views
What is the most idiomatic translation of “no way!”
The phrase "no way" is similar to this question about the expression "you wish!" but is perhaps more of an expression of disbelief or rejection of what the other speaker says. It also can be friendly ...
1
vote
4answers
99 views
Spanish words for cake, pie, pastry, etc
English has several specific words for different types of sweet, baked products:
cake
pie
pastry
tart
torte
cobbler
Does Spanish have the same level of detail for describing these sweets? What ...
2
votes
1answer
33 views
How to translate “surface contamination”
I want to translate a phrase:
Evaluation of surface contamination by beta radionuclides.
I have
Evaluación de contaminación en superficies provocada por radio
nucleótidos beta
I do not ...
5
votes
2answers
115 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 ...
6
votes
3answers
270 views
“Unsanded Grout” in Spanish
I read about unsanded grout in a DIY blog and want to buy it. But I don't know how to translate that to spanish. What is it called in Spanish or Castellano?
6
votes
2answers
591 views
Is there a translation for “cougar”?
I mean cougar as in a middle-aged woman seeking a romantic relationship with a younger man. I know the term asaltacunas, but this applies to both men and women, so I would like to know if there is a ...
8
votes
2answers
331 views
Armpit: sobaco vs. axila
"Armpit" in English can be translated as either sobaco or axila in Spanish. Is each term used in different regions, or are they both used across the Spanish-speaking world? What is the difference, or ...
2
votes
3answers
113 views
How to say “later”
I know there are different ways to translate "later," depending on context.
más tarde
después
luego
entonces
en otra ocasión
And perhaps others?
How can I decide which translation of "later" to ...
17
votes
8answers
505 views
How should I translate “table” (as in a data table)?
What should be the correct word in Spanish to translate "table" (as in an arrangement of text or data in rows and columns)?
Somewhere I've read that "cuadro" should be preferred to "tabla", but which ...
2
votes
1answer
32 views
“Decoded” Fashion ?
There is a computer programming event next week, "Decoded Fashion". I had write (in Spanish) that I was going to this event.
I found two translations on Google translate: descodificar descifrar.
...
1
vote
1answer
22 views
Coming “down” or “up” (traveling from one place to another)
In English (at least US English), it is common to use "up" and "down" when giving directions. For example:
When are you coming down to visit us?
I went up to see him for the weekend.
The "up" and ...
4
votes
2answers
59 views
How to translate “quiver”? (mathematics)
In mathematics a quiver is a multidigraph. It is a directed graph that allows multiple arrows and loops. The non-mathematical Wikipedia article on the quiver, corresponds to the Spanish article on ...
2
votes
3answers
474 views
challenge: desafío vs. reto
The English word "challenge" can be translated to Spanish as desafío (desafiar) or reto (retar). Is there any difference between these words, or are they exact synonyms? If there is a difference, when ...
7
votes
1answer
83 views
How to write “if this happened, I would have done this”?
I'm quite new to subjuntive and the conditional tense.
If I want to write: If I had been rich, I would have bought a car.
Is this correct:
Si yo hubiera sido rico, compraría un coche.
Or should ...
10
votes
3answers
1k views
How do you differentiate between walnuts and pecans in Spanish?
It recently occurred to me that the Spanish nuez can be translated to English as both "walnut" and "pecan." Is the same word really used for both types of nuts? How would you specify which nut you're ...
3
votes
1answer
87 views
Noun and adjective word order and meaning of “atomic power engineering sites” in Spanish
I am reading a product description and I want to translate it:
The dosimeter may be used at atomic power engineering sites, physics laboratories, health care organizations as an electronic ...
5
votes
3answers
201 views
What does “La hora de los loros” mean?
"La hora de los loros" is an idiom in Spanish. I've seen it writing and heard it in conversation.
How would you say the equivalent in English? Not literally, but figuratively. Is there an ...
3
votes
2answers
115 views
¿Cómo se dice “Christmas caroling” en español?
Creo que la palabra mejor para "Christmas carol" es villancicos, pero ¿hay una forma como verbo?
Por ejemplo, en inglés se puede decir:
We are going Christmas Caroling tonight at 8.
Pero en ...
10
votes
5answers
511 views
How do you say “I got you!” in spanish
If I threw a snowball (or dodgeball) at someone and it hit them, how would I say "I got you!" in spanish?
4
votes
1answer
114 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 ...
8
votes
4answers
503 views
Waterfall: cascada vs. catarata
What is the difference between cascada and catarata as translations for the English "waterfall"? Are they synonyms, or is there a difference?
7
votes
1answer
239 views
¿Cómo empezar una carta de manera formal/oficial?
Tengo que escribir una carta formal y quiero escribir de la misma manera y con el mismo respeto que en inglés (dear sir, dear madam), son dos personas que no son parientes pero quiero ser cortés con ...
8
votes
2answers
204 views
What is the spanish translation for “Account” when referring to a user account on a website?
The English > Spanish translation of account on Google Translate comes up with various forms of the word cuenta.
However, the Spanish > English translation of cuenta returns words relating to ...
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?
2
votes
1answer
55 views
How to express the concept “for each disctinct grouping of column value combinations” in spanish
ENGLISH
I am translating a line of text
"for each disctinct grouping of column value combinations"
I came with
"para cada grupo distinto de combinaciones de valores por columna"
but I ...
2
votes
2answers
63 views
How to translate Extensibility mechanisms
I have a title in english
SQL extensibility mechanisms
Which would be a good spanish translation?
Cual sería la mejor traducción para ese titulo?
