23
votes
Accepted
Why do we say "Qué hora es" instead of "Qué hora está"?
This answer has grown enough to require an outline. Here it is:
"¿Qué hora es?" versus "¿Qué hora está?"*
"estar" versus "ser"
"a state" versus "an attribute"
"¿Qué hora es?" versus "¿Qué horas son?"
...
- 1,550
20
votes
Accepted
Why does "Se habla español" translate to "We speak Spanish"?
The translations would be
Se habla Español <> Spanish spoken (here)
Hablamos Español <> We speak Spanish
But these phrases are all valid, and almost interchangeable. The overall meaning is ...
19
votes
Accepted
Would you use "llamarse" for an animal's name?
While one of the uses of se is indeed to make a verb reflexive, it has a number of other uses. One of those other uses is — in third person — to make the verb passive. Thus,
El perro se llama ...
- 29.8k
18
votes
Are there any more informal ways of saying "thanks" than "gracias"?
I think that gracias is the most basic, standard way to say thank you in Spanish. If you want more options, you have to seek upwards:
Muchas gracias (thanks a lot).
Muchísimas gracias (thank you very ...
- 76.3k
15
votes
Difference between "manejar" and "conducir"
That's quite a weird phrase to me simply because I'm from Spain.
Manejar is only used in Latin American countries; conducir is the only word for drive in Spain.
Also, this phrase must have been ...
- 1,254
15
votes
Accepted
What is the difference between "regresar," "volver," and "retornar"?
As you yourself have observed, the verbs are mostly interchangeable (in the strictest sense: the meaning is the same), and the difference is in the frequency of use, which in part has to do with ...
- 38.9k
14
votes
Accepted
What is the difference between "temporada" and "estación"?
You have to use "estación" when you refer to one of the four seasons of the year: summer, fall/autumn, winter or spring.
The word "temporada" will be used to refer to some period during which an ...
- 25.7k
13
votes
Accepted
Bien vs buen/bueno/buena to describe something good
The difference is quite simple: bien is an adverb, while bueno/a is an adjective.
You should use bien when it stands alone (esto está bien), when it modifies verbs, specially the participle (esto ...
- 9,949
13
votes
Accepted
¿Cómo expresar "sympathy" o "condolence" en español?
La expresión más frecuente es dar el pésame, para expresar esta acción de comunicarle a alguien que lamentas el fallecimiento de su pariente:
Me acerqué a Luis en el funeral para darle el pésame por ...
- 47.6k
13
votes
Accepted
¿"Hater" en castellano?
No creo que haya un sinónimo exacto (como casi con todo) pero se me ocurren varias traducciones para escoger, dependiendo del contexto. No sé si entiendo bien lo del panda: ¿se refiere a "disfruta, ...
- 2,234
12
votes
When is it written with and without accent: porqué/porque/por qué? / ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre "porque", "porqué", "por que" y "por qué"?
ENGLISH -Spanish follows
Check the RAE on Porqué / porque / por qué / por que for a deep explanation of this. There are several combinations (porque vs. por que as one or two words and then que/qué ...
- 47.6k
12
votes
Accepted
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre un balón y una pelota?
La diferencia consiste en que un balón es aquel que se puede inflar, es decir, que tiene una válvula a través de la cual es posible inflarlo, por ejemplo, el balón utilizado en fútbol, basketball, ...
- 3,681
12
votes
Accepted
Is there more concise way to say "tomorrow morning" than "mañana por la mañana"?
If abbreviating (to mañ.) is something unwanted, then instead of what you have
Mañana por la mañana
You'll gain 2 spaces with
Mañana a la mañana
Or even a 4 char gain, writing
Mañana temprano
...
- 4,518
11
votes
Accepted
"Ella es nuestra madre" - Why is "nuestra" feminine?
Ok, I must confess, at first I thought the question wouldn't make sense, but it does and actually it's quite interesting.
In Spanish adjectives, possessives pronouns, and so on are declined according ...
- 5,578
11
votes
Accepted
What is the difference between frijoles and habichuelas?
Given the great extension of territories where Spanish is spoken, there are for a single type of food, many ways to name it, according to the country (or region in a single one).
There's also an ...
- 6,181
11
votes
Accepted
¿Por qué se usa la forma "tú" en publicidades en vez de "usted"?
Puede ser para ofrecer cercanía con el publico al que se dirige. La forma usted es mucho mas formal y desde luego implica respeto, pero eso no quiere decir que la forma tú carezca de él. Creo que en ...
- 47.6k
11
votes
Accepted
Difference between "manejar" and "conducir"
Although they are expressions of the same sense (observing regional differences that have been mentioned), you must remember that these are words with different meanings.
Manejar involves taking ...
- 15.8k
11
votes
Is there a Spanish word for "typo"?
Errata is a correct translation for typo.
Looking up typo:
a mistake (such as a misspelled word) in typed or printed text
And looking up errata:
f. Equivocación material cometida en lo ...
- 211
11
votes
Accepted
Cuál es la mejor traducción para "Spoiler"
La traducción más adecuada para spoil es destripar.
4. tr. coloq. Interrumpir el relato que está haciendo alguien de algún suceso, chascarrillo, enigma, etc., anticipando el desenlace o la
...
- 2,377
11
votes
Sinónimo de "Ya que"
Dado que me siento triste...
Debido a que me siento triste...
Ahora que me siento triste...
Porque me siento triste...
Como me siento triste...
Con motivo de que me siento triste...
Considerando que ...
- 10.5k
10
votes
“Habría” or “Hubiera”: ¿Si lo hubieran anotado, después no les "hubiera" o "habría" costado tanto recordarlo?
You will never go wrong using either of these standard forms:
Si tu hermana me llamara, te lo diría.
Si tu hermana me llamase, te lo diría.
That pair are completely interchangeable: no meaning ...
- 2,001
10
votes
Accepted
Por y Para for Recipients
In Spain, at least, por is never used to refer to recipients, it's always para.
He hecho este pastel para ti.
Mi amor es para él.
Todo el dinero que tiene es para sus hijos.
por is used to refer to ...
- 704
10
votes
Accepted
Si quiero decir “He knows a little Spanish” ¿qué verbo necesito usar: saber o conocer?
We use "saber" when we want to convey knowledge or mastery of skills:
Él sabe hablar español.
Él sabe un poco de español. Lo suficiente como para defenderse.
Mi abuela sabe coser. Mi abuelo ...
- 47.6k
10
votes
Accepted
Why is "Dawn" translated "Mediodía"?
Indeed, dawn should be translated as "amanecer" or "alba"
... esperó al amanecer.
... esperó a las primeras luces del alba
Seeing that you already found a really blatant example ...
- 47.6k
10
votes
Accepted
How to translate "for dummies" to something more polite than "para tontos"?
Yes, "tontos" is not a word you would tell to somebody you want to sell a book :)
Instead, I would use:
... para principiantes
Where principianteis a word you can find in the DRAE meaning "...
- 33.4k
10
votes
Accepted
¿Cuál de esas frases es correcta? ("en que" vs. "donde")
With the correction of lo for el, both
Vivo en el mismo lugar donde vivía hace un año
and
Vivo en el mismo lugar en que vivía hace un año
are correct. So, both are fine and there is actually ...
- 47.6k
10
votes
Accepted
Is there a Spanish word for "typo"?
No es un solo vocablo, pero la locución más frecuente es error tipográfico, la cual es un calco de la locución (typographical error) de que proviene el término typo en inglés.
- 29.8k
10
votes
What is the difference among "perdón", "disculpa" and "lo siento"?
"Disculpe" is used more when you want to ask something. If you want to be polite, talking to someone you don't know you can say:
-Disculpe, me podría decir la hora, por favor.
-Sorry, could you ...
- 101
10
votes
Accepted
What's the difference between "cien" and "centenar"?
That's the same difference English makes between twelve and a dozen. Here como un centenar means "approximately a hundred".
- 1,204
10
votes
Accepted
¿Cómo puede traducirse "workaround"?
Workaround indica una solución temporal que se adopta ante la imposibilidad de aplicar la solución estándar u obvia. Se trata de "salir del paso" hasta que llegue el momento de la solución definitiva. ...
- 1,039
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