How best to render a tricky Spanish word or expression in English or one from some language in Spanish.
3
votes
2answers
181 views
What is the difference between parece and pareciera?
What is the difference between parece que and pareciera que? How are both normally translated? What tenses can be used after pareciera que, and in general how is pareciera used?
3
votes
2answers
236 views
esperar: wait vs. hope vs. expect
The verb esperar (e.g. Estoy esperándolo.) can be used in at least three senses:
to wait for
to hope
to expect
In English, these all mean very different things:
I'm waiting for you to ...
3
votes
2answers
134 views
Translation of “I have a feeling…”
What's the best way to translate "I have a feeling..."
This is not feeling as in feeling happy/sad etc, but instead more of an instinct/idea/guess.
Eg.
I have a feeling that someone here knows ...
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 ...
3
votes
1answer
245 views
Board game vocabulary
What are the typical translations in Spanish for the following terms related to board games?
board game
board
(playing) pieces
deck of cards
to roll the dice
to move forward
to move backwards
to ...
3
votes
1answer
81 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
...
3
votes
3answers
156 views
Throughput in Spanish?
I just wanted to know the best (preferably a single-word) translation of the English word throughput. Would you opt for capacidad, rendimiento or función de transferencia?
Thanks
Artur
3
votes
2answers
100 views
How to form statements like “It was during that time that…”
"It was" is translated as era or estaba. I know for statements like "It was happy with you" (contigo estaba feliz) that works.
But what about constructions where the "it" is nothing in specific? ...
3
votes
1answer
131 views
shy: tímido vs. reservado vs. vergonzoso vs. penoso
In many parts of the Spanish-speaking world, describing a person who is "shy" can be done with at least four different words:
tímido
reservado
vergonzoso
penoso
What is the difference between ...
3
votes
1answer
89 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 ...
3
votes
1answer
54 views
“performance car” en español
Cuál es el término correcto para "performance car" en español? Esos autos que modifican o que construyen especialmente para carreras.
3
votes
1answer
261 views
Translation of “personal statement”
What phrase in Spanish is used to describe a "personal statement" (i.e. a short essay composed for a college application, for example)?
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 ...
3
votes
3answers
55 views
How translate Troubleshoot into this sentence?
¿Cómo puedo traducir la siguiente oración? Ya que no se que función cumple las sentencias all-in-one y troubleshooter.
A technician computer functions like an all-in-one computer troubleshooter
3
votes
1answer
126 views
Translation: más famoso del cine
I've come across the below sentence:
todas han sucumbido a los encantos del espía con licencia para matar más famoso del cine.
What does "los encantos" mean?
What does "con licencia para ...
2
votes
2answers
140 views
Greetings for presents and cards
What phrases and greetings can you use for christmas presents / cards? Are there "general purpose" phrases which can be used for presents which are used the whole year, like an iPod?
For example:
...
2
votes
3answers
414 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 ...
2
votes
3answers
80 views
video vs. grabación
What is the difference between video and grabación? In other words, what types of "videos" does each describe? Which of the two would best describe a video recorded using a home video recorder or ...
2
votes
3answers
99 views
Translating “preferences” and “settings”
What is the standard way in Spanish to translate "preferences" (a menu option in computer programs where you can adjust program settings)?
What is the standard way to translate "settings" (an ...
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".
2
votes
2answers
503 views
Translation of “What goes around comes around”
What is the best Spanish translation of the English idiom, What goes around comes around?
2
votes
2answers
3k views
Translating “I'm sorry for your loss”
What is the most natural way in Spanish to say "I'm sorry for your loss," as in what you would say to someone grieving over a departed relative or friend (or even the loss of a job)?
2
votes
3answers
202 views
Translating “Thanks in advance”
In letters or emails, I often end by saying "Thanks in advance," thanking the recipient in advance for whatever I am requesting. Is there an equivalent phrase in Spanish that is used in the same way?
2
votes
3answers
972 views
Ways to express “to get ready” or “to get dressed”
What verbs in Spanish are used to express the concept of "getting ready" or "getting dressed" (for example, before leaving the house to go out to dinner)? I've seen alistarse, arreglarse, prepararse, ...
2
votes
3answers
101 views
Translation of “CD” and “DVD”
What are the possibilities for translating "CD" (Compact Disc) and "DVD" (Digital Video/Versatile Disc) into Spanish?
2
votes
4answers
74 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 ...
2
votes
3answers
451 views
Translation of “I rest my case”
In English, the phrase "I rest my case" can be used in a conversation by one person whose point has just been proven by the other person. In a legal sense, it would mean that a lawyer has concluded ...
2
votes
3answers
478 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
188 views
Software environments (development, testing, staging, production)
In software engineering, there are often multiple "environments" the codebase exists in:
development
testing or qa
staging
production
What is the Spanish term used for "environment," and how are ...
2
votes
1answer
79 views
Vocabulary related to the nose
What are the most common ways of saying:
to blow one's nose
to pick one's nose
stuffy nose
runny nose
nasal congestion
2
votes
3answers
173 views
How can I translate “un ámbito cerrado” into English?
Here's a poem by Borges that I tried to translate into English:
A Un Gato
No son más silenciosos los espejos
ni más furtiva el alba aventurera;
eres, bajo la luna, esa pantera
que nos es ...
2
votes
3answers
193 views
Translation of “first time doing something”
What is the most natural way in Spanish to talk about someone's first time doing something? For example:
This is my first time eating sushi.
That was the first time she's ever gone camping.
Was that ...
2
votes
1answer
162 views
What is the difference between “de corto plazo” and “a corto plazo”?
What is the difference between de corto plazo and a corto plazo (or de largo plazo and a largo plazo), meaning short-term and long-term? In what contexts can each be used?
2
votes
3answers
175 views
Translation of “ASAP”
What is the most common translation of ASAP (As Soon As Possible) in Spanish?
I have seen:
cuanto antes
cuanto antes posible
lo más pronto posible
cuanto antes, mejor
Are these all common and ...
2
votes
3answers
88 views
Translation of “desarrollo integral”
What is the best English translation for the Spanish phrase desarrollo integral (as applied to a person or country)? "Complete development" doesn't sound right, and I can't find the phrase in my ...
2
votes
1answer
812 views
Translation of “bed bug” (chinche?)
In English, bed bugs are parasitic insects that can infest beds and the areas where people sleep. Wikipedia shows that the Spanish term for bed bug is chinche. However, my understanding is that ...
2
votes
2answers
758 views
Ways to say “you're welcome”
The "textbook" way to say "you're welcome" in Spanish is de nada. English has many ways to express this:
You're welcome.
No problem.
Don't worry about it.
My pleasure.
What other ways are there in ...
2
votes
3answers
258 views
Proper translation of a Cole Porter song title?
I've seen the Cole Porter song title, "Begin the Beguine," translated into Spanish as "Volver a Empezar." http://lyrics.wikia.com/Julio_Iglesias:Volver_A_Empezar
"Beguine," in English is a dance. ...
2
votes
3answers
99 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
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?
2
votes
2answers
168 views
When it is okay to translate food dishes names?
There are some dishes that don't have a direct translation (i.e. Peruvian ceviche). There are other like Arroz con Pato than can be translated to something like Rice with Duck. Here's a list from ...
2
votes
1answer
95 views
cordura vs sensatez vs juicio vs sabiduría
Other than juicio, which has the additional meaning of a legal trial, these words all have to do with wisdom, judgement, and/or sense, as I understand it.
In what ways are they different?
2
votes
2answers
75 views
Why is “por” prefered to “para” in the example within?
From Shakira's Suerte:
Yo puedo escalar los Andes solo
Por ir a contar tus lunares
Why is por preferable to para in this case. If one translation of para is roughly "for the purpose of", ...
2
votes
2answers
191 views
Best translation of “accountability”
In conversations about the hardest words or phrases to translate well from Spanish to English, the word "accountability" has repeatedly come up. I have seen the phrase "financial accountability" ...
2
votes
1answer
123 views
¿Qué es una “máquina de coser para costura over”?
A friend is asking me to check the price for a maquina de coser para costura over in the U.S., to see if it's worth bringing with me to Mexico when I visit soon. I don't know what that is. She ...
2
votes
2answers
59 views
Transliteration + translation of pangram
La cigüeña tocaba cada vez mejor el saxofón y el búho pedía kiwi y
queso.
How do you transliterate this into US ASCII characters? And what does the phrase mean?
2
votes
2answers
69 views
¿Qué significa «En 2.° plano»?
Yo he restablecido mi iPhone hoy, y estoy restaurando la configuración.
En el panel de configuración de Safari, hay una opción «Abrir enlaces» que tiene dos valores posibles:
En página nueva
En 2.° ...
2
votes
1answer
55 views
Is this a correct translation for “A new world awaits”
This is for an ad I'm making. I translated "A new world awaits" like this:
"Un nuevo mundo le espera"
I think it's correct, but I'm no expert
2
votes
3answers
1k 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 ...
2
votes
2answers
242 views
Translation of “It will be a while before/until…”
When explaining that something won't happen soon, English uses expressions like:
It will be a while until ...
It will be a while before ...
It will be a long time until ...
It will ...
