How a word, phrase, or concept is used in the Spanish language.
7
votes
3answers
520 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 ...
6
votes
1answer
164 views
What is the meaning of “que” and “cual” without an accent mark?
What does "que" and "cual" mean without an accent mark? How do they compare when to each other? How do they compare to their accent-marked form?
1
vote
2answers
97 views
waste: desperdiciar vs. malgastar
I learned that "waste" in English can be translated as desperdiciar or malgastar in Spanish. What is the difference between these two words? Are there any cases where one is correct and the other is ...
1
vote
3answers
164 views
Break: romper vs. quebrar vs. quebrantar vs. partir
Off the top of my head, I can think of four Spanish translations for the English verb "to break":
romper
quebrar
quebrantar
partir
In what cases can each be used, and what are the differences ...
6
votes
3answers
173 views
What's the difference between “estar ansioso de” and “estar ansioso por”?
I know that both 'estar ansioso de' and 'estar ansioso por' mean to be excited for something or looking forward to it, but how do I decide which one to use? Do the two have slightly different ...
3
votes
2answers
182 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?
5
votes
1answer
325 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 ...
2
votes
3answers
979 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, ...
3
votes
2answers
237 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 ...
2
votes
3answers
483 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
86 views
justicia: justice and righteousness?
In the Spanish Bible, I believe the English "justice" and "righteousness" are both translated as justicia. Is justicia the only word that can translate both of these terms? Is there any way to know ...
0
votes
1answer
859 views
Words for boat, ship, and other seafaring vessels
In English, we have many words to describe the different types of vessels that travel on water:
boat
ship
yacht
dinghy
canoe
kayak
raft
watercraft
vessel
sailboat
barge
catamaran
lifeboat/liferaft
...
2
votes
1answer
297 views
Does pelón/pelona mean bald or hairy?
I have heard pelón (or the feminine pelona) used to both refer to someone who has no hair and someone who has a lot of hair. Is there any way of distinguishing whether pelón means bald or hairy, or is ...
1
vote
2answers
46 views
Usage of the word acullá
WordReference translates acullá as "yonder." Is this a word that was only used in the past, or is it still used in modern Spanish today? If so, what regions does it appear in and how is it used?
7
votes
3answers
256 views
Choosing between “Mirar” and “Ver”
What is the real difference between "Ver" and "Mirar". They are quite close in meaning but what are the differences between them? What are the rules to know whether we should choose one or the other?
4
votes
6answers
1k views
Meaning and connotations of “gringo”
In the US, "gringo" is usually understood as a disparaging reference to a foreigner (see the Merriam-Webster definition). What exactly does gringo mean in Spanish? Is it neutral, or does it have ...
6
votes
2answers
672 views
Difference between “favor de” and “por favor”
What's the difference between "favor de" and "por favor"?.
Examples:
Favor de lavarse las manos después de ir al baño.
Por favor lávese las manos después de ir al baño.
Hazme favor de ...
4
votes
3answers
283 views
How formal is cuán? What are the informal alternatives?
How formal is the Spanish word cuán? When is it appropriate to use, and when does it seem out of place? How are sentences using cuán normally expressed in informal speech?
2
votes
1answer
129 views
Using “qué” or “quién” when talking about people
Imagine for a moment you know who stole your car (some thiefs for example):
Sabemos qué personas lo hicieron.
The above sentence is the same as saying:
Sabemos quiénes lo hicieron. (Persons ...
0
votes
1answer
177 views
Speakers' location in determining venir vs. ir
In English, we use the word "come" very loosely (at least in day-to-day spoken English):
Want to come over to my place later?
Can I come over to your house for New Years'?
Can you come meet me at ...
7
votes
4answers
221 views
What is the difference between “a partir de” y “desde”?
Which one is correct?
A partir de ahora, voy a hablar en español.
or
Desde ahora, voy a hablar en español.
In meaning I think both are close to "from." Are there any specific instances ...
6
votes
4answers
341 views
When is “ello” used?
A long time ago in Spanish class, we were taught that "it" was literally ello but is rarely translated that way. I was thinking about the word recently, and realized I don't know if I've ever (at ...
7
votes
3answers
533 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 ...
4
votes
1answer
46 views
What's the meaning of “hasta” in the following sentences?
What's the meaning of "hasta" in the following sentences?
Hasta que te dignes a hacerme caso.
Los resultados del examen se publicarán hasta febrero.
Those have different meanings than the "hasta" ...
4
votes
1answer
261 views
What's the meaning of the -azo suffix?
What's the meaning of the (noun)-azo?
How the nouns are transformed into their -azo noun?
In which cases should be used?
Examples:
zapatazo
golpazo
7
votes
1answer
347 views
Difference between “tener que …” and “necesitar …”?
If I have to say something like I gotta leave in Spanish, I'd use a phrase like:
Tengo que irme
But I realize that I could also say:
Necesito irme
What is the difference? You would ...
4
votes
2answers
81 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 ...
7
votes
1answer
120 views
“Liking” a musician or other artist
The verb gustar, when used with people, conveys a romantic interest (e.g. Ella me gusta. -> I have a crush on her.). How then, can you convey that you like a musician's music or an artist's paintings, ...
8
votes
2answers
313 views
What's the difference between “debe de” y “debe”?
Is there any difference? What's their usage? When should one be used instead of the other one?
Examples:
El niño debe de hacer su tarea.
El niño debe hacer su tarea.
7
votes
2answers
112 views
What's the function of “mismo” in this sentence?
What's the exact function of "mismo" in the following sentence?
For example:
Se llevo a cabo la ceremonia y el mismo presidente le entrego la medalla al soldado.
I'm a native speaker and I ...
5
votes
1answer
209 views
“Perdón”, “permiso”, “disculpa”, … ?
I always struggle with the correct usage of the various ways one could say the equivalent of I'm sorry or Excuse me. Of course there are many reasons I would say these things and I was often looking ...
6
votes
2answers
263 views
Article usage before country names
I have heard several countries expressed in Spanish with a definite article before the country name (e.g. los Estados Unidos, la Argentina, la India). Is there a rule for when this occurs and when it ...
15
votes
6answers
427 views
“vaso de agua” or “vaso con agua”? Which is correct?
English
What's the correct way to express that something "serves as a container for something else"?
Example:
¿Quieres un vaso de/con agua?
Should we use de or con? Are both correct? Why?
If ...
9
votes
3answers
267 views
“De donde fue” instead of “De donde estaba”
In Nicaragua, addresses are usually given as directions from a landmark, for example:
From the stadium, go 5 blocks south, then 3 blocks east
Sometimes the landmark is a place that used to be ...
13
votes
4answers
262 views
Does using “tío” imply a negative opinion?
I've seen the word tío used to mean "guy" or "bloke", but can't recall (in my admittedly limited experience) having seen it used to imply a positive opinion of someone.
If I refer to someone as "Ese ...
6
votes
5answers
414 views
Definition of escuela and colegio
Spanish has two generic words for school: escuela and colegio. I have heard different explanations for what phases of schooling each word refers to. For example, I've been told that colegio refers ...
7
votes
3answers
634 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 ...
8
votes
3answers
202 views
Are there any subtle differences between “de nuevo” and “otra vez”?
There are two very common ways in Spanish to say the equivalent of "again":
de nuevo
otra vez
But I use them pretty randomly because I've never been able to pick up on any differences in how ...
14
votes
4answers
797 views
When to use “igual” and “lo mismo”?
English
I often get corrected when using either the word igual or mismo, and haven't really figured out when to use which yet.
What are the rules for when and how to use igual, and when and how to ...
11
votes
1answer
265 views
When is “Te quiero” used to mean “I love you?”"
I can come up with three phrases to express affection:
Te adoro.
Te amo.
Te quiero.
The first two are fairly clear in intention. However, I have heard "Te quiero", which literally translates as "I ...
5
votes
2answers
136 views
Matutino and Vespertino
I see matutino and vespertino, meaning morning and afternoon, used to describe parts of the daily schedule in schools and church. They sound very formal.
Are there more words like them to describe ...
6
votes
2answers
222 views
What is the difference between different ways of expressing desire and intention?
I hear a lot of different ways to express the idea of wanting something or wanting to do something. What is the difference between them?
Yo quiero (algo o hacer algo o que pase algo)
Me gustaría ...
...
5
votes
1answer
93 views
What is apercibido?
Today I looked for the word desapercibido in the RAE and found the following:
desapercibido, da.
adj. No apercibido.
Now, I know what desapercibido means, but then I was curious about ...
8
votes
5answers
422 views
What is the diminutive of “pan” (meaning bread)?
Is it:
pansito
panesito
panito
panecino
panecillo (Although this one has most of the time another meaning...)
Why?
I know short question, but seemingly difficult for me. Is there a definitive ...
10
votes
2answers
371 views
Usage of “oso” to express embarrassment
I have heard the idiom
¡Que oso!
...used to express embarrassment by a former acquaintance from Colombia but have never met another Spanish speaker who uses this expression.
My questions:
...
9
votes
4answers
250 views
How to decide between “ahora” and “ya” for the sense “now”?
I know that ya has additional meanings besides simply now, such as already.
But considering just the sense of ya which does mean now, when should I use it and when should I use ahora, which only has ...
7
votes
1answer
287 views
Usage of the compound preposition “para con”
Wikipedia mentions that para con is rarely used, but I hear it often enough to warrant this question.
On the other hand, the Wikipedia article references the Diccionario panhispánico de dudas with ...
8
votes
2answers
123 views
How can I tell someone what I'm reading about?
I was reading a book, and someone asked me, "¿Qué estás leyendo?"
I answered, "Estoy leyendo sobre ..."
The person looked at me funny, but seemed to understand what I said.
Looking back, it makes ...
7
votes
3answers
270 views
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre «también» y «tampoco»?
Yo sé que se debe usar también cuando una persona se pone en acuerdo con una otra (en inglés, "You like movies? Me too!" será, "¿Te gustan las películas? ¡A mi también!") pero no se las reglas de usar ...
8
votes
3answers
289 views
Use of “Que” in “Que todo te vaya bien”
Que todo te vaya bien.
Que nos reunamos a las 6.
I've seen, and used, que in this form - it's as if the verb has been dropped, say, espero.
What is the origin of this usage? Is it ...
