All Questions
9,131
questions
4
votes
4
answers
367
views
Is there a Spanish equivalent to the English phrase "leave it all on the field"?
In English, athletes who participate in competitions (especially important ones) discuss their effort as "leaving it all on the field". This gives the sense that there was (or will be) nothing held ...
4
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Why are S and Z treated differently by the rules for stress?
Unless an accent is present, the stress falls on the second to last syllable when a word ends in a vowel, N, or S. But Z seems to "want" to follow this rule as well. In almost every name ending in a Z ...
4
votes
5
answers
7k
views
What would be a proper translation for "Bullshit"?
I'm currently trying to translate some dialogues, and one of the characters use the expression "Bullshit!"
A: You're no brother of mine.
B: It saddens me to hear you say that — said in a ...
4
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Tecnicismos: ¿Dónde está el límite entre lo correcto y lo incorrecto?
Tengo una duda recurrente, que me surge a menudo en temas relacionados con mi profesión, que es la ingeniería, y que me imagino que en otras disciplinas también sucederá. En mi día a día debo emplear ...
4
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Is it true that the reflexive of "regresar" -- "regresarse" -- is not used in Spain?
I recently read (in what I thought was a pretty reputable grammar book) that "regresarse" is not used in Spain, but I had never heard this before. Is it true? If so, why don't Spaniards use it? Is ...
4
votes
7
answers
746
views
Translating "each other's" in Spanish
I know there are several approximate ways to convey the sense of "each other" in Spanish, some of them being entre ellos, uno al otro, and even mutuamente. However, I am struggling to turn this ...
4
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How would you translate "Quality time"
Por ejemplo si tu quieres tomar tiempo con tu enamorad@ o con tu familia. En inglés, nosotros lo llamamos "Quality time".
Ustedes pueden describir cual es la mejor traducción (o algo diferente)? (En ...
4
votes
6
answers
3k
views
How to ask for a repair shop to fix a car tire?
I recently went to Panama and we had 4 flat tires within 2 weeks. I'm still confused how to properly ask for a repair shop which fixes tires. Can you clarify?
I would prefer answers not only for ...
4
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Word order of questions
After reading:
¿Qué hace tu padre?
¿Cuándo trabaja tu hermana?
I would think:
¿Por qué es vendedora tu madre?
is the appropriate word order but it turns out to be
¿Por qué es tu madre vendedora?
...
4
votes
4
answers
19k
views
Es una ofensa para llamarle a alguien "Gabacho"?
¿Es una ofensa llamar a alguien "Gabacho" en Mexico y en otros países donde el español se habla?
4
votes
3
answers
256
views
Better translation of the word 'estafa" in reference to a female
I heard a women described as "una estafa" in Spanish (from Spain) and my translation is roughly "a fraud". So, beyond being a fraud, does the speaker mean anything else in regards to her ...
4
votes
4
answers
8k
views
What is a proper translation of the Cole Porter song title "Begin the Beguine"?
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. "...
4
votes
3
answers
905
views
"Último" vs. "final"
I understood último means 'most recent' and final 'the very last'.
Now in my language course, I read:
El sábado es el último día de la semana.
How should I understand that?
4
votes
2
answers
623
views
The correct translation for 'toilets'?
I'm trying to figure out how to ask where the toilets are if I'm in a restaurant. Of course I would start with '¿Dónde está...' but then I'm not sure whether to say 'lavabo', 'baño', 'servicios' or '...
4
votes
3
answers
289
views
Si + subjunctive
I've heard that the word si is never followed up with the present subjunctive, yet in the song Yo No Sé Mañana by Luis Enrique, he sings si lleguemos a amarnos o a odiarnos.
Why does he use the ...
4
votes
2
answers
3k
views
¿Qué es lo correcto, "Dejar de verte" o "Dejarte de ver"?
Un uso posible de la frase sería:
Es muy difícil que quiera dejarte de ver.
4
votes
2
answers
3k
views
¿Qué quiere decir "piezas de a ocho"?
En el contexto puede ser tonterías pero sospecho que puede significar mas.
—Un día veré el mar —decía la niña, también como en los cuentos,
mientras pasaba la fregona por el suelo del puticlub6. ...
4
votes
3
answers
205
views
Translation Golf XXIV - Go East or Go West?
Welcome to a new edition of the game!
If this is your first time, there's some info for beginners at the end of this post.
Esta ocasión nos vamos al este... hasta la China para volver al Oeste. Para ...
4
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Can "Hombre" be translated to "hey"?
In the "Mi Vida Loca" BBC episodes (a nice intro to Spanish), I came across the sentence:
Hombre, ¿qué tal?
and it was translated to:
Hey, how are you?
I though hombre meant "man": can it also ...
4
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Why, in "mis padres se llaman __", do you need "se"?
I know there's another question about "se", but I don't understand the answer or know which of the scenarios described refers to this one.
While learning Spanish, I'm supposed to know the sentence
...
4
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What are some of the most useful shortened Spanish words for someone learning Spanish to know?
The other day I was watching some television in English and noticed that full words are not always used. Occasionally, they are shortened. For the record, this post is referring to shortenings, a ...
4
votes
4
answers
3k
views
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre "suficiente" y "lo suficiente"?
What is the function of lo in the following sentence:
Perdimos porque no nos concentramos lo suficiente
4
votes
3
answers
1k
views
¿Por qué se usa el género femenino en estos casos?
En la frase "Nueva York," ¿por qué es el adjetivo "nuevo" declinado al género femenino? Pensaba que el masculino era el género predeterminado. Entonces por qué es el género femenino usado? ...
4
votes
4
answers
256
views
What is the origin and actual sense of "Más solo que la mano izquierda"?
Reading "Vivir para contarla" de Gabriel García Márquez, I have stumbled upon a strange expression:
Me he quedado más solo que la mano izquierda en la ciudad desocupada.
My question is: what is ...
4
votes
3
answers
32k
views
The difference between the use of "les" and "los"
Given this sentence:
El maestro ......... lee un libro.
The correct answer to the above blank is 'nos' or 'les'. But it made me confused why 'los' also not was the correct choice. As I know both ...
4
votes
7
answers
24k
views
¿Qué significan "achichuca" y "achichay" en Colombia?
Recientemente escuché estas dos palabras del español de Colombia y quisiera saber qué significan. Agradecería si también me pueden decir el origen de estas palabras, que no parecen provenir del ...
4
votes
5
answers
19k
views
¿Es una ofensa decir la palabra "caray"?
¿Qué significa la palabra "caray", es una ofensa decirle a alguien "caray"?
¡Caray! Que estas haciendo aqui?
4
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Difference between "muy" and "tan"?
What's the difference between muy and tan? In what context are they used?
La ciudad de Naga no esta tan lejos desde aqui.
Mi hija es tan/muy(?) bonita.
4
votes
4
answers
91k
views
Diferencia entre "por eso" y "por ello"
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre "por eso" y "por ello"?
¿Existen casos en el que se puede usar uno y no el otro?
Ejemplo:
Estaba lloviendo; por eso / por ello no pude ir.
4
votes
3
answers
10k
views
How to say "about" as in about page
I have a simple webpage, La ComeBotella that I'm using for a Spanish project.
I'm trying to translate the initial English version I debuted with, and I was wondering how to say "about" when talking ...
4
votes
2
answers
118
views
Use of 'desdecirse'
I was reading an article that included the term: decdecirse
y que no termine de comprometer ni de obligar a desdecirse a ninguno de los dos.
I am having trouble understanding how the term is used. ...
4
votes
3
answers
618
views
Punctuation changes words?
So I wrote "what is your name" in google translate, and it said "Cual es su nombre", but when I wrote "What is your name?" it said "¿Como te llamas?" which is ...
4
votes
5
answers
583
views
What verb form do we use in "espero que yo <verb>..."?
Which of the following conjugations of viajar in my sentence is correct?
Espero que yo viajaré/viaje/viajaría a España.
I am focusing on Spanish from Spain.
4
votes
4
answers
2k
views
When do I use: acudir vs asistir vs ir?
So apparently 'acudir' means 'to go to', (No podemos acudir a la fiesta) and 'to come', but that seems very similar to the definitions of asistir and ir. (No podemos asistir a la fiesta)
The sentence ...
4
votes
3
answers
1k
views
¿Cuál es la palabra correcta en español para "scan"?
Estaba escribiendo un correo electrónico sobre scans de un escáner de documentos y me preguntaba cuál es la palabra correcta en español que la sustituye o si se usa scan. Revisé el Diccionario de la ...
4
votes
3
answers
7k
views
¿Palta o aguacate?
En español hay dos maneras de llamar a esta fruta. "Palta" se usa generalmente en América del Sur. Pero, ¿se sabe cuál es el nombre que se dio en origen a esta fruta para así poder obtener el nombre ...
4
votes
4
answers
1k
views
What's the best way to say "it is broken"?
What is the best way to say that something no longer works or is broken? I'm just thinking about it now.
Is it right to say it like this?
Mi tarjeta no trabaja nunca más. My card doesn't work ...
4
votes
3
answers
611
views
Is the phrase "tiene programada" grammatically correct in Spanish and, if so, why isn't it "tiene programado?"
Primero mi pregunta en español:
¿Es la frase "tiene programada" gramaticalmente correcta en español? y, si es así, ¿por qué no uno escribe "tiene programado?"
Details in English:
I recently came ...
4
votes
2
answers
485
views
Is there a difference between "mayormente" and "principalmente"?
My Italki teacher says that there is a difference between "mayormente" and "principalmente", but he's finding it hard to articulate just what the difference is. Is it one of meaning? Of register? ...
4
votes
3
answers
695
views
¿Cual sería la mejor traducción para "mock-up"?
En el mundo de UX (de User eXperience 1) es habitual hablar de mock-ups, wireframes... términos que se suelen utilizar en inglés, cuando seguramente tengan una buena traducción al español.
Por ...
4
votes
5
answers
3k
views
How do you express mild sympathy in Spanish?
I'm looking for a phrase that would translate to "that sucks" or "aw man," but is more formal and not slang.
What would be a good expression in Spanish to respond to someone who says they're a little ...
4
votes
4
answers
699
views
¿Cuál es un equivalente para "it follows" en español?
¿Cuál es un equivalente para "it follows" en español?
Caso de uso:
Since x is greater than 2, it follows that x is greater than 1.
Y la traducción:
Dado que x es mayor que 2, ____ x es mayor ...
4
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Matemáticas o Matemática
If I am trying to say:
Mathematics is a very interesting subject
Which of these would be:
Matemáticas son muy interesantes
Matemáticas es muy interesante
Matemática es muy interesante
...
4
votes
2
answers
7k
views
Significado de "lapsus cálami"
Mientras leía una obra, que me abstendré de mencionar, se menciona la siguiente frase al hacer referencia a otras frases de otras obras.
Tenía la mano fría como la de una serpiente
Se dice que ...
4
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Why would "breakfast" be translated as "almuerzo," which means "lunch"?
In the original English edition of Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson, 1883) this passage appears:
At last in strode the captain, slammed the door behind him, without
looking to the right or ...
4
votes
2
answers
534
views
Is "haber" always a helping verb?
In this sentence:
Lamento que no haya más galletas.
there is only a "helping" verb, but none other. I thought there should be another verb, also. Help me understand this, please.
4
votes
2
answers
44k
views
What is the difference between "Como estas" and Como estás"
What is the difference between Como estas and Como estás with an accent??? Does it mean something else???
4
votes
5
answers
13k
views
Confused over "vacilar"
While browsing a few Spanish language forums today, I came across this:
Un amigo y yo estábamos comentando sobre una foto de nosotros en
facebook - de hace tiempo... Otro amigo pensaba que quizás ...
4
votes
7
answers
12k
views
How do you express attraction to someone (like a crush) [duplicate]
How do you say I have a crush on you/her/him/them (you in its tú / Usted forms) ?
4
votes
3
answers
565
views
Is it OK to end a sentence with an object pronoun (e.g. "He aprendido mucho de los")
I'm trying to tell someone that I've learned a lot from a set of videos and books: "Thanks a lot for your excellent books and videos. I have learned a lot from them." and so my attempted translation ...