How a word, phrase, or concept is used in the Spanish language.
6
votes
3answers
1k views
Difference between “mas” and “más”
What's the difference between mas and más?
What rules should I follow to know which one to use?
Could you provide examples showing their uses?
4
votes
5answers
209 views
Uses of “se”: “se rompió” o “rompió”
He leído las siguientes oraciones.
Mi hermano menor se rompió la mayoría de vasos.
Mi hermano menor rompió la mayoría de vasos.
Dice que la segunda frase es correcta. ¿Pero por qué?
Su ...
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 ...
14
votes
4answers
798 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 ...
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.
20
votes
9answers
400 views
Any difference between aquí and acá
I've been taught that aquí and acá are completely interchangable.
From personal observation, acá seems to be used more often than aquí in the context of "I live down this road." Example:
Vivo ...
5
votes
2answers
312 views
Differences betwen “ahí”, “allí”, y “allá”
I am confused with the uses of "ahí", "allí" and "allá".
It seems they are used according to different situations.
Could you please tell me what are the differences and provide some examples?
Thanks!
6
votes
2answers
251 views
When is “al” not interchangeable with “a el”?
This is a clear case where "al" cannot be replaced with "a el":
Al mirarlo, sonrió.
Are there any other cases?
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?
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 ...
6
votes
3answers
171 views
Regional use of “genial”
What parts of the Spanish-speaking world regularly use the word genial? Is it only encountered in Spain, or is it common in other regions as well?
Edit: It seems like it's more widespread than I ...
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?
1
vote
3answers
373 views
Singular and plural of pants, shorts, jeans, etc
In English, words like pants, shorts, and jeans appear to be in the plural but really refer to one item of clothing (I don't know what the technical term for it is). To be more specific, you can say ...
