The vocabulario tag has no wiki summary.
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 ...
5
votes
3answers
391 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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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
2answers
127 views
What is the intended meaning of “maría” in this news article?
While reading an article in El País, I saw this in the last sentence in the 4th paragraph (emphasis mine):
“La Religión, según esos acuerdos, no puede ser considerada una maría, y debe tener el ...
4
votes
3answers
129 views
How do you describe a pie pan in Spanish?
Even my Mexican friends don't know how to say "pie pan" or "pie tin" in Spanish. Google isn't much help, either.
How can I effectively communicate about a pie pan?
Examples:
Disposable, single-use ...
2
votes
2answers
144 views
What is the difference between “por medio de” and “a través de”?
It seems like a través de and por medio de can often be used to mean the same thing. What is the difference between them, and in what contexts can you only use one or the other?
8
votes
2answers
129 views
Duda entre “sino” y “si no”
Hace poco he leído un libro donde se empleaba el sino. Al principio pensaba que era un error de ortografía, pero me resulta un poco extraño que se equivocaron en poner sino y no separado si no. ...
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?
1
vote
3answers
64 views
How can I translate/describe a “rough idle” to the mechanic?
I need to take my vehicle to a mechanic to diagnose a problem with a rough idle. How do I translate this term, "rough idle" to Spanish?
1
vote
1answer
55 views
Myspell and different variants of Spanish
This is somewhat computer related as well.
If one installs myspell package in Ubuntu, it would download files for Spanish Spanish, and files for e.g. Argentinian Spanish would be just symlinks to it. ...
5
votes
3answers
75 views
Is it acceptable to say Brasilero instead of Brasileño?
On the wikipedia article in spanish about Brazil, both terms, Brasileño and Brasilero, are used as gentilic for people born in Brazil, it also mentions that Brasilero is used only on certain regions ...
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 ...
4
votes
1answer
42 views
Spanish for “snowflake” and “snowman” in various regions?
I found myself needing a word for "snowflake" and "snowman" while talking to family. My nephew was holding a toy snowflake and snowman.
Most spanish-speaking countries live rather close to the ...
6
votes
3answers
147 views
Learn basic vocabulary
I am learning Spanish (Castellano) and want to expand my vocabulary.
There are many vocabulary trainers out there. But some do not come with predefined words and others contain them all. I want to ...
2
votes
3answers
473 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 ...
11
votes
2answers
331 views
What is the difference between “personas” and “gente”?
I was translating a sentence for school en Español and I came across the word "people." I looked it up on Google Translate and it gave me "personas" and also "gente." What is the difference between ...
7
votes
3answers
622 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 ...
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
2answers
114 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 ...
8
votes
4answers
502 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?
3
votes
4answers
176 views
“Toma un tiempo” o “lleva un tiempo”, ¿qué suena más natural?
¿Qué suena más natural en castellano, tomar tiempo o llevar tiempo?
Una actividad que toma un tiempo considerable en ser desarrollada.
Una actividad que lleva un tiempo el ser desarrollada.
5
votes
3answers
2k views
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre “formación” y “capacitación”?
Estoy escribiendo con mi amiga de Argentina, y ella me habló de su nuevo trabajo. Ella dijo que tenía que tomar un curso de capacitación, pero veo la palabra "formación" en lugar a veces.
¿Cuál es ...
7
votes
3answers
506 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 ...
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 ...
2
votes
3answers
93 views
Jugada estratégica
En el fútbol para una jugada a balón parado, preparada por el equipo, ya sabiendo lo que va a hacer cada uno se dice que es una jugada de estrategia. De acuerdo a las definiciones de táctica y ...
6
votes
5answers
944 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 ...
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
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
4answers
771 views
Translation of mild, medium, and hot (food spiciness)
In English, salsa, hot sauce, or other spicy foods are often classified as either mild (not very spicy), medium (moderately spicy), or hot (very spicy). Does Spanish have similar adjectives to ...
5
votes
3answers
121 views
¿Cómo se usa la forma femenina de tema?
He leído que la palabra tema se puede usar en la forma femenina: la tema. ¿Qué significa la tema, y cómo se usa? ¿Es común? ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre el tema y la tema?
11
votes
4answers
233 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 ...
5
votes
2answers
226 views
¿Es correcto decir “salir afuera”?
Asumiendo que se está en un edificio con muchas oficinas, ¿es correcto decir
"salí afuera de la oficina"? Porque si se dice "salí de la oficina" no se sabe si la persona esta dentro del edificio pero ...
4
votes
3answers
410 views
How to say something is “annoying” in Spanish?
I have been wondering how to say annoying, adjective and verb, in Spanish (ES). I come from the Northwest of the US and we use this word very often.
I have seen examples using molestar but none of ...
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 ...
9
votes
1answer
421 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.
5
votes
3answers
173 views
feliz vs. alegre vs. dichoso
I recently heard dichoso used to mean feliz. Looking up dichoso in a dictionary shows it means "happy" (or "blessed"). What is the difference between dichoso, feliz, and alegre to mean "happy"? Are ...
2
votes
1answer
166 views
Different words for “servant”
According to Wiktionary, the English "servant" has two meanings:
One who serves another, providing help in some manner.
(e.g. She is quite the humble servant, the poor in this city owe much to her ...
8
votes
5answers
271 views
Best way to translate 'uneducated', meaning lacking formal schooling
Generally the Spanish word maleducado more often means rude, rather than unschooled. In light of this, how would one describe someone who is polite and intelligent, but has never been formally ...
8
votes
1answer
226 views
What's the difference between “sólo”, “únicamente” and “solamente”?
According to the RAE:
solo o sólo.
adv. m. Únicamente, solamente.
In what situations is preferred to use one over the other?
Are they interchangeable?
Sólo es una pregunta ...
6
votes
2answers
137 views
What is the difference between requerir and exigir?
I believe that they both mean to "require." But do they refer to different "degrees" (urgencies) or types of requirments?
Can they be used interchangeably or is one more suitable in some contexts and ...
8
votes
3answers
467 views
What's the difference between rezar and orar? Are there any other ways to say 'to pray'?
My teacher told me that different religions tend to use different words for "to pray", usually choosing between rezar and orar. Which words are preferred by what religions & in which areas? Are ...
5
votes
3answers
90 views
“Earthquake”: When to use “temblor” and “terremoto”
When referring to an earthquake, are temblor and terremoto perfect synonyms? Are there any differences?
3
votes
3answers
91 views
Ways used to refer to another person? [closed]
English
Ways used to refer to another person besides the following:
Huevon
Chavon
Chavo
Loco
Tio
Chico
Compadre
Could somebody point where and how each word could be used ...
7
votes
4answers
296 views
Shorter/alternate version of refrigerator
English
Is there a shorter or more common word for refrigeradora in Mexico and the southern parts of the US? I find it a cumbersome and difficult word to say in Spanish.
Español
Hay otra manera ...
0
votes
2answers
102 views
Words for “grave”: tumba vs. sepultura
English has several words for burial places, many of which have specific, distinct meanings:
grave
tomb
vault
crypt
mausoleum
sepulcher
As far as I know, Spanish has at least two words for ...
18
votes
4answers
294 views
Question words: “qué” versus “cuál”
English
Often "qué" is translated to English as "what" and "cuál" is translated as "which." However, I know that this is not always the case. Here are some examples. (Please correct me if I am ...
12
votes
6answers
720 views
Is there a difference between “español” and “castellano”?
English
I always thought the two could be used interchangeably (meaning "the Spanish language"). But I recently got into an argument with someone where they insisted there was a difference (although ...
