The vocabulario tag has no wiki summary.
3
votes
2answers
841 views
Translation of “bowl”
I have heard many different translations for bowl (the dish) in different Spanish-speaking countries. What words are normally used to translate "bowl"? Which is most universally understood? What ...
6
votes
1answer
92 views
Polite terms for excrement
There are many vulgar terms for excrement, but what are the non-vulgar, polite ones (used in medical settings, or with children, or among adults in polite conversation)?
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
0
votes
2answers
114 views
What is the best way to refer to those of Spanish descent or language?
In English there are several ways to refer to people who speak Spanish or are from a Spanish-speaking country: Hispanic, Latin, Latino, Chicano, Spanish-speaking, etc.
What equivalent terms exist in ...
7
votes
3answers
527 views
How can I distinguish between “girlfriend,” “fiancée” and “bride”, which are all “novia”?
I am a native Portuguese speaker, where noiva means "bride" or "fiancée." So I was very confused when someone asked me if a girl was my novia, since she didn't have an engagement ring (thank goodness ...
7
votes
2answers
161 views
Basque words in Spanish vocabulary
Which are the words, parts of words and structures coming from Basque to Spanish language? And possibly in which periods did they become part of spoken Spanish and official Spanish (Castellano)?
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
2answers
188 views
Algún to represent an indefinite quantity?
I'm using the textbook Fuentes: Conversación y gramática, and in it it states:
"To talk about indefinite quantity in affirmitive sentences and questions, use the following adjectives and pronouns."
...
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 ...
4
votes
4answers
1k views
Different words for “beer”
In Mexico, besides "cerveza" we call beer the following:
cheve
chela
pisto (anything with alcohol)
bironga
helada
fría
These are used informally.
Are there any other words used to address beer in ...
14
votes
4answers
834 views
Why don't Spanish words start with “sp”?
I've noticed that there aren't any words in Spanish that start with sp. Latin words are altered to include an e in front of the sp. Even loan words are often modified to esp...:
spaghetti => ...
4
votes
2answers
472 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
3answers
123 views
Do compounds exist in Spanish which are not nouns or are nouns other than than of the form (3ps verb + pl noun)?
In Romance languages, compound words are much rarer than in Germanic language such as English, but they do exist.
My favourite kind of word formation in Spanish is the one that results in words such ...
0
votes
1answer
111 views
caja vs. cajón vs. estuche
"Box" in English can be translated into Spanish as caja, cajón, or estuche. What exactly is the difference between these three words? What types of boxes are translated as each? Which would best ...
1
vote
3answers
78 views
Ordinary, regular, run-of-the-mill, average, etc
In English, there are a lot of ways to express that someone or something is standard and not particularly special or extraordinary. For example:
Ordinary people like you and me can sometimes ...
0
votes
1answer
137 views
Packing material vocabulary
In English, there are quite a few words to describe materials used to pad and insulate packages that are being shipped from one place to another:
packing peanuts or foam peanuts are individual ...
4
votes
1answer
115 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 ...
7
votes
1answer
98 views
Is there a Spanish equivalent to Ms.?
As far as I can tell, the honorifics to address a woman are:
Señora (Sra.) which is equivalent to "Mrs." and is used to address a married woman;
Señorita (Srta.) which is equivalent to "Miss" and is ...
5
votes
5answers
205 views
Computer science, software engineer/developer, and programmer
When visiting Spanish-speaking countries, I've been told various ways to translate these terms:
Computer Science (as in a university degree program)
Software Engineer
Software Developer
Programmer
...
3
votes
4answers
699 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 ...
1
vote
2answers
174 views
Words and phrases with non-evident prejudice
Hace poco aprendí que el origen de la palabra algarabía es la pronunciación de árabe en la lengua árabe. Otro ejemplo notable es la palabra morisqueta.
¿Existen otras palabras o frases de común uso ...
4
votes
2answers
84 views
Backchannels (listener responses) in Spanish
In linguistics, the term backchannel is used to describe the short words or sounds a listener makes during a conversation to acknowledge what the speaker is saying and make known that he is still ...
6
votes
2answers
7k views
Bonita, linda, hermosa, bella, and guapa: what's the difference?
I've seen all of these used to mean 'pretty', although 'hermosa' seems to mean beautiful and 'guapa' seems to mean handsome. Are there any subtle differences them?
For instance, in English being ...
10
votes
1answer
210 views
Plural form of compound words
The plural form of compound words in Spanish is not an easy matter. If the compound word already has its final element in plural form, then the plural form is the same as the singular one: for ...
2
votes
1answer
113 views
Are there other “feminine only” adjectives in Spanish besides “embarazada”?
In most if not all Spanish dictionaries I've checked, embarazada is only ever listed in its feminine form unlike all other adjectives I can think of.
Is this semantic because it's considered that ...
6
votes
3answers
544 views
Words for strong or weak rain (sprinkling, drizzling, pouring)
This question on English.StackExchange made me wonder about words for rain in Spanish. In English, a light rain can be a drizzle, sprinkle, or mist and a heavy rain can be a deluge, downpour, or ...
4
votes
1answer
106 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
123 views
Different words for “sign”
Spanish has several words that could be translated "sign" in English:
letrero
rótulo
señal
indicio
cartel
pancarta
seña
What are the differences between these words? In what situations can each be ...
8
votes
1answer
365 views
Difference between “hay”, “ay” and “ahí”
These are commonly misused when writing, and can be very confusing for someone that is learning Spanish. These three words have a very different meaning and they are used in a very different context.
...
4
votes
3answers
213 views
Etymological origin of “false friends” between Spanish and English
Is there an etymological origin that can be called the main one that has created the list of "false friends" between Spanish and English?
I'm constantly stumbling upon a new "false friend" when ...
1
vote
0answers
114 views
What is a good, original Spanish childrens novel to help learn grammar and vocab? [closed]
I want to find a Spanish book that I can read to help practice my grammar and vocabulary.
I've only done about a year of evening classes for adults, but I can read sites like BBC Mundo and have a ...
6
votes
2answers
100 views
Analog to “sustainability”
I asked a question on english synonyms of "sustainability" alrady on ELU. In Spanish, dictionaries and ngrams give out several options:
Comparing with the english ngrams chart I conclude la ...
1
vote
1answer
374 views
What are some terms of endearment for a girlfriend/wife? [closed]
What are some Spanish terms of enderment you could use for a girlfriend or a wife? In English I'm thinking things like sweetheart, sweetie, darling, cutie, babe, etc..
Any others that are unique to ...
6
votes
4answers
1k views
List of most commonly used Spanish words
When learning vocabulary in a new language, it is useful to focus on very commonly used words first. Are there any resources online (or in print) that give a list of the most frequently occurring ...
2
votes
0answers
316 views
Suffixes used to transform an adjective into a noun [closed]
Spanish has, to my knowledge, more possible suffixes than for example English or German. Many adjectives can be transformed into nouns by adding -ness, -ism, -ity in English, or -keit, -heit, -ismus ...
2
votes
3answers
188 views
American style TV shows in Spanish [closed]
Are there American style TV shows that could be used to practice listening Spanish. By American style I mean
Each episode around 30 minutes in length
Although it helps to watch them in sequence, ...
8
votes
2answers
489 views
How to translate 'to become?' (hacerse, ponerse, convertirse en, etc.)
I've heard several different words used for 'to become' in Spanish. Obviously sometimes there are specific verbs to use, like 'enfadarse' means to become angry, but often you need to use a verb that ...
