It's not easy finding your way around a foreign city, or a foreign language.
Sometimes you will get lost, make mistakes or cross boundaries you didn't realise were there.
In those moments, it's handy to have a few phrases to hand, to apologise, to smooth any feathers you may have unintentionally ruffled, and leave a favourable impression instead of a poor one.
Let's start with the situations where you know that what you're doing might disturb someone else, like trying to squeeze past them, to get off a bus or train.
You can request their cooperation, in advance, with '¿Con permiso?' or '¿Me permite?', or you can begin your manoeuvre, then apologise, with 'Perdón'
'Perdón' is also a good way to get someone's attention, if you require assistance e.g.
'Perdón ¿Podría decirme, donde está la estación de autobuses?' - 'Excuse me, could you tell me where the bus station is?'
If you do happen to tread on someone's toes, as you squeeze past, 'Lo siento' (literally 'I feel it') is probably the commonest way of saying 'I'm sorry', and you can say it to anyone, without having to consider whether the situation, or their status, requires 'tú' or 'usted'
You DO have to consider that, if you want to use 'perdóname' (tu) and 'perdóneme' (usted) and 'discúlpame' (tu) or 'discúlpeme' (usted).
If you've really upset someone, though, you could always try 'mil disculpas' (a thousand pardons)
I like to pick words apart, and the etymology, or evolution of 'disculpar' is an interesting case.
From the original Latin word 'culpa', meaning guilt - 'DIScúlpame' means 'unguilt' me = relieve me of my guilt = pardon me.
The word 'culpa' also means guilt in Spanish so, if someone begins to apologise to you, for a bump, or jostle, but it's really your fault, you could take the blame with 'No, yo tengo la culpa'
Your parents and grandparents may have told you that good manners cost nothing, but it's definitely worth spending a little time, learning a few exculpatory (another lovely word ;-) phrases, although I hope you don't need them.
¡Hasta la próxima!
Thursday, 20 June 2013
Saturday, 25 May 2013
The Cat got the Canaries
El Tigre returns from his vacacciones, in Las Islas Canarias.
Situated some 100 miles off the coast of Morocco, the Canary Islands are the most westerly of Spains autonomous communities, and were a stopping off point for adventurers setting out to plunder the New World.
The people are open and friendly, and Tourism plays a big part in the economy of most of the islands.
The weren't always so welcoming though. Horation Nelson lost an arm in an attack on Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1797.
I had loads of opportunities to practise my Spanish with the locals, who were all very patient, and quite prepared to give me time to think, rather than reverting back to English, which they have to use with most of the Tourists. They really appreciate you having a go.
A big thank you to Reina Cárdenas, an expatriate Mexican lady who works, attracting customers into the excellent Asado Tio Bernabé restaurant in Corralejo, on Fuerteventura, and who made time for a chat, in Spanish, on more than one occasion.
So, enough of the travelogue, and on with a few local expressions.
"Tate quieto bobo mierda"
"Behave, you idiot"
"!!Cojelo Cuco¡¡"
An expression of amazement (Like the Yorkshire expression "By 'eck!")
"Pareces un machango"
"You look extremely scruffy"
"Se le pusieron los ojos como a un cherne"
"Your eyes nearly popped out of your head" (i.e. you couldn't stop staring at something)
"Vaya chuso, tiro p'al chozo"
"It's slinging it down (raining), I'm going home"
You'll also notice that the Canarians don't use the 'seseo', the characteristic lisp heard in other parts of Spain, and sound more like their South American cousins, many of whose ancestors probably set sail from these islands.
Finally, a little more history. The Canaries aren't named after the birds, but from the Latin Expression 'Canariae Insulae' which means Island of Dogs, and was originally applied only to Gran Canaria. You'll see stickers eveywhere on that island with silhouttes of the emblematic local dog breed, rather like a mastiff.
The local 'mascot' of Fuerteventura is the goat, in fact the capital, Puerto del Rosario, was know as Puerto del Cabra (Port of the Goat) as recently as the 1950's.
You might find goat on the menu at Tio Bernabé's too!
So, visit the Canaries. Speak Spanish. Eat. Drink. Get some sun. Enjoy.
Situated some 100 miles off the coast of Morocco, the Canary Islands are the most westerly of Spains autonomous communities, and were a stopping off point for adventurers setting out to plunder the New World.
The people are open and friendly, and Tourism plays a big part in the economy of most of the islands.
The weren't always so welcoming though. Horation Nelson lost an arm in an attack on Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1797.
I had loads of opportunities to practise my Spanish with the locals, who were all very patient, and quite prepared to give me time to think, rather than reverting back to English, which they have to use with most of the Tourists. They really appreciate you having a go.
A big thank you to Reina Cárdenas, an expatriate Mexican lady who works, attracting customers into the excellent Asado Tio Bernabé restaurant in Corralejo, on Fuerteventura, and who made time for a chat, in Spanish, on more than one occasion.
So, enough of the travelogue, and on with a few local expressions.
"Tate quieto bobo mierda"
"Behave, you idiot"
"!!Cojelo Cuco¡¡"
An expression of amazement (Like the Yorkshire expression "By 'eck!")
"Pareces un machango"
"You look extremely scruffy"
"Se le pusieron los ojos como a un cherne"
"Your eyes nearly popped out of your head" (i.e. you couldn't stop staring at something)
"Vaya chuso, tiro p'al chozo"
"It's slinging it down (raining), I'm going home"
You'll also notice that the Canarians don't use the 'seseo', the characteristic lisp heard in other parts of Spain, and sound more like their South American cousins, many of whose ancestors probably set sail from these islands.
Finally, a little more history. The Canaries aren't named after the birds, but from the Latin Expression 'Canariae Insulae' which means Island of Dogs, and was originally applied only to Gran Canaria. You'll see stickers eveywhere on that island with silhouttes of the emblematic local dog breed, rather like a mastiff.
The local 'mascot' of Fuerteventura is the goat, in fact the capital, Puerto del Rosario, was know as Puerto del Cabra (Port of the Goat) as recently as the 1950's.
You might find goat on the menu at Tio Bernabé's too!
So, visit the Canaries. Speak Spanish. Eat. Drink. Get some sun. Enjoy.
Sunday, 14 April 2013
Back to school with Verbling
Some time ago, I mentioned a site called Verbling, where students of Spanish could go for intercambios with Spanish speakers who are learning to speak English.
I thought it was a great idea at the time, and it just got better.
Now Verbling are offering online lessons.
As with all things,there are pros and cons.
First, the positives. There are a wealth of recorded lessons, not only for Spanish students, but also for students of English, and in which you can see the actual format of the live lessons, and for free.
The lessons are indexed by language, subject, and level of difficulty, and as well as by teacher, which might be important for some students.
If you want to dive in, and right now, and for a look, go to https://www.verbling.com/classes/
I've not taken part in any live lessons, but have dipped in and viewed a few of the recorded ones, which are free to view.
As you might expect, there's a fair but of meet and greet at the beginning of each lesson, as students introduce themselves. This can take up to ten minutes.
The level of fluency of the students varies enormously, some are very halting and hesitant, especially in the beginner lessons and some of the pronunciation, even in the intermediate lessons, will probably make you feel much better about your own efforts ;¬)
The lesson content, itself, is very wide ranging, from basic vocabulary, through discussions, on such subjects as 'telebasura' (junk TV), to one of my favourites, listening to music in Spanish.
There are a number of different teachers, and you can choose to follow an individual teacher's lessons. It's all about choosing the content and presentation which makes it easier to learn.
Do you find it easier to understand men, or women? Can you keep up with an enthusiastic native speaker, who is motivational, but speaks a little faster than you're used to?
The lessons are powered by Google hangouts, and so are primarily aimed at PC users, with webcams, as a plugin is required. Hopefully full integration with Android and Apple tablets will soon follow.
Ostensibly, Verbling lessons are free. You can register well in advance, to reserve a seat, but preference will always be given to 'Verbling Premium' users, so you might register early only to be denied a seat if the class limit is exceeded by Premium students.
I'm not sure what the limit is, but I've seen over 15 students in one lesson I viewed.
Verbling Premium is free for the first week, then $25 (US) per month thereafter, and Premium Members can book unlimited classes (I haven't seen any mention of the limit for non-Premium students)
All in all, it's a well-designed and executed addition to the burgeoning Spanish online learning market, and appears to have quite a lot of regular followers already.
I'd definitely recommend taking a look, to see if it suits you. Try out a few of the free lessons. If nothing else, there's plenty of practice to be had, listening to the different voices of the Teachers, and it's educational too ;¬)
I'd also like to say a big 'Gracias' to a very helpful chap from Zagreb who , in SecondLife, goes by the name of Fofo Morales, who pointed out the following links
www.mitele.es is a site where you can view Spanish TV series online, among other things, and http://www.ivoox.com which is site full of podcasts, on a wide variety of subjects, from science, to culture, to comedy, to food and even sport and music. Excellent for even more audio comprehension practice.
Enjoy.
I thought it was a great idea at the time, and it just got better.
Now Verbling are offering online lessons.
As with all things,there are pros and cons.
First, the positives. There are a wealth of recorded lessons, not only for Spanish students, but also for students of English, and in which you can see the actual format of the live lessons, and for free.
The lessons are indexed by language, subject, and level of difficulty, and as well as by teacher, which might be important for some students.
If you want to dive in, and right now, and for a look, go to https://www.verbling.com/classes/
I've not taken part in any live lessons, but have dipped in and viewed a few of the recorded ones, which are free to view.
As you might expect, there's a fair but of meet and greet at the beginning of each lesson, as students introduce themselves. This can take up to ten minutes.
The level of fluency of the students varies enormously, some are very halting and hesitant, especially in the beginner lessons and some of the pronunciation, even in the intermediate lessons, will probably make you feel much better about your own efforts ;¬)
The lesson content, itself, is very wide ranging, from basic vocabulary, through discussions, on such subjects as 'telebasura' (junk TV), to one of my favourites, listening to music in Spanish.
There are a number of different teachers, and you can choose to follow an individual teacher's lessons. It's all about choosing the content and presentation which makes it easier to learn.
Do you find it easier to understand men, or women? Can you keep up with an enthusiastic native speaker, who is motivational, but speaks a little faster than you're used to?
The lessons are powered by Google hangouts, and so are primarily aimed at PC users, with webcams, as a plugin is required. Hopefully full integration with Android and Apple tablets will soon follow.
Ostensibly, Verbling lessons are free. You can register well in advance, to reserve a seat, but preference will always be given to 'Verbling Premium' users, so you might register early only to be denied a seat if the class limit is exceeded by Premium students.
I'm not sure what the limit is, but I've seen over 15 students in one lesson I viewed.
Verbling Premium is free for the first week, then $25 (US) per month thereafter, and Premium Members can book unlimited classes (I haven't seen any mention of the limit for non-Premium students)
All in all, it's a well-designed and executed addition to the burgeoning Spanish online learning market, and appears to have quite a lot of regular followers already.
I'd definitely recommend taking a look, to see if it suits you. Try out a few of the free lessons. If nothing else, there's plenty of practice to be had, listening to the different voices of the Teachers, and it's educational too ;¬)
I'd also like to say a big 'Gracias' to a very helpful chap from Zagreb who , in SecondLife, goes by the name of Fofo Morales, who pointed out the following links
www.mitele.es is a site where you can view Spanish TV series online, among other things, and http://www.ivoox.com which is site full of podcasts, on a wide variety of subjects, from science, to culture, to comedy, to food and even sport and music. Excellent for even more audio comprehension practice.
Enjoy.
Monday, 11 February 2013
A personal appeal - Students wanted
I apologise, in advance, if you clicked in, today, expecting another serving of Spanish learning advice but, this time, it's my turn to ask for help.
Not for me, but for my struggling Spanish teacher.
As you may have read in previous posts, I take weekly lessons via SecondLife, in a virtual 3D classroom, with a teacher who has over 22 years experience teaching Spanish as a second language.
Her SecondLife avatar is called XimenaModotti Carami, but I usually just call her Ximena.
She's been teaching in SL for a little over 3 years, and I've been taking lessons with her for over 2 years.
In real life, she's a lady called Eunice Ruiz and she lives in Mexico. She has been teaching, both privately, and in various language schools for, as I said, over 22 yrs.
There is a long-standing tradition in her home town of Cuernavaca, of foreign students, primarily from the U.S. travelling to Mexico, and spending several weeks, living with local families, and attending school each day (the main schools she has worked for are ASLI and Encuentros). It's an immersive environment.
Unfortunately, due to the foreign perception of central Mexico as being dangerous, and the U.S. government advising travellers not to visit (despite the fact that, in October last year, there were more murders in Chicago than in Ciudad Juarez, and they haven't advised people not to travel to Chicago!) the number of students has droppped dramatically.
Ximena has attempted to recreate an immersive environment in SecondLife, with slideshows, videos, music and cultural lessons which you would not normally find outside a classroom, certainly not in your own home.
Here's a couple of videos, showing snippets from a recent lesson.
Firstly, greeting each other at the beginning of a lesson. The wider camera angle gives an impression of the environment.
Secondly, Ximena introduces a new concept, using the projector screen, then passes me a notecard, with exercises to practice in class.
What she really needs now are more students. Many of the Spanish teachers in her town are having to leave teaching and find other employment. She is a dedicated teacher who is working hard to provide quality tuition at a fraction of the usual cost of one-to-one lessons.
I recently saw a local advertisement for Spanish lessons at FOUR TIMES what I currently pay.
So, if you've been hesitating, if you are currently studying on your own with audio or video lessons, if you're a beginner, or you need to refresh your forgotten Spanish from school, or you need some specialist training, be it in business, legal, medical, aeronautic or religious vocabulary, contact Ximena now, and ask about a free trial lesson in SecondLife.
It will give you a no-risk chance to sample the environment, and her methods, and it will give her an idea of your current skill level, if you decide to proceed.
I, personally, cannot begin to express how much her tuition has helped develop my Spanish but I owe it to her to spread the word and encourage other people to try it for themselves.
Contact details and weblinks below.
Tell her Chas sent you.
See you in Class!
Email Ximena at caramimex@gmail.com
See her SecondLife profile https://my.secondlife.com/ximenamodotti.carami
Here's her Blogger page http://ximenamodotticarami.blogspot.co.uk/
And her Real Life LinkedIn profile http://mx.linkedin.com/pub/eunice-ruiz/4a/452/798
I believe she's also on FaceBook but, as I don't use FB, I can't give you a link.
Not for me, but for my struggling Spanish teacher.
As you may have read in previous posts, I take weekly lessons via SecondLife, in a virtual 3D classroom, with a teacher who has over 22 years experience teaching Spanish as a second language.
Her SecondLife avatar is called XimenaModotti Carami, but I usually just call her Ximena.
She's been teaching in SL for a little over 3 years, and I've been taking lessons with her for over 2 years.
In real life, she's a lady called Eunice Ruiz and she lives in Mexico. She has been teaching, both privately, and in various language schools for, as I said, over 22 yrs.
There is a long-standing tradition in her home town of Cuernavaca, of foreign students, primarily from the U.S. travelling to Mexico, and spending several weeks, living with local families, and attending school each day (the main schools she has worked for are ASLI and Encuentros). It's an immersive environment.
Unfortunately, due to the foreign perception of central Mexico as being dangerous, and the U.S. government advising travellers not to visit (despite the fact that, in October last year, there were more murders in Chicago than in Ciudad Juarez, and they haven't advised people not to travel to Chicago!) the number of students has droppped dramatically.
Ximena has attempted to recreate an immersive environment in SecondLife, with slideshows, videos, music and cultural lessons which you would not normally find outside a classroom, certainly not in your own home.
Here's a couple of videos, showing snippets from a recent lesson.
Firstly, greeting each other at the beginning of a lesson. The wider camera angle gives an impression of the environment.
Secondly, Ximena introduces a new concept, using the projector screen, then passes me a notecard, with exercises to practice in class.
What she really needs now are more students. Many of the Spanish teachers in her town are having to leave teaching and find other employment. She is a dedicated teacher who is working hard to provide quality tuition at a fraction of the usual cost of one-to-one lessons.
I recently saw a local advertisement for Spanish lessons at FOUR TIMES what I currently pay.
So, if you've been hesitating, if you are currently studying on your own with audio or video lessons, if you're a beginner, or you need to refresh your forgotten Spanish from school, or you need some specialist training, be it in business, legal, medical, aeronautic or religious vocabulary, contact Ximena now, and ask about a free trial lesson in SecondLife.
It will give you a no-risk chance to sample the environment, and her methods, and it will give her an idea of your current skill level, if you decide to proceed.
I, personally, cannot begin to express how much her tuition has helped develop my Spanish but I owe it to her to spread the word and encourage other people to try it for themselves.
Contact details and weblinks below.
Tell her Chas sent you.
See you in Class!
Email Ximena at caramimex@gmail.com
See her SecondLife profile https://my.secondlife.com/ximenamodotti.carami
Here's her Blogger page http://ximenamodotticarami.blogspot.co.uk/
And her Real Life LinkedIn profile http://mx.linkedin.com/pub/eunice-ruiz/4a/452/798
I believe she's also on FaceBook but, as I don't use FB, I can't give you a link.
Sunday, 10 February 2013
More music(al) lessons
OK,OK. I'll try and make this the last song-based post for a while, but I just think that music is such a great way of remembering lessons in Spanish, and having fun, away from the classroom, at the same time.
So, this time, I have two videos for you.
The first song, I've mentioned before. It's 'Ven a mi', which is a translation of the brilliant 'Stay with me', by Shakespeare's Sister, performed by Il Divo (going to see them, again, in April.Can't wait)
I'm using this song to illustrate what my Teacher refers to as 'Clausulas Ambiguas' or Ambiguous Clauses.
This is a rather tricky characteristic of the Subjunctive (yes, THAT again!)
The Clause referred to is actually a single word in this case. It's 'cuando'.
As you know, the Subjunctive is used often in cases of negation or doubt, and it's the second of those which applies here.
In the video, you'll hear . .
'Cuando el te HAGA sufrir, y te ROMPA el corazón'
instead of
'Cuando el te HACE sufrir'
and
'Cuando no PUEDAS sonreír y MUERAS de dolor'
instead of
'Cuando no PUEDES sonreír y MUERES de dolor'
So why are we using the subjunctive here?
It all hangs on the meaning of the word 'Cuando' - 'When'
In this case it means 'if and when' or 'in the event that', suggesting that the events spoken about may or may not actually occur.
This is different to, say, following instructions for boiling an egg, which might say 'cuando hierve al agua', where the verb 'hervir' (to boil) remains in the indicative, because the water IS going to boil, once you begin to heat it, as opposed to 'Lo haré cuando HIERVA el Océano Antártico' (I'll do it when the Antarctic Ocean boils - i.e. Never!)
The same fine distinction affects the word 'Aunque' - 'Although', when it is used in the sense of 'Even if'
So 'Viene aunque no está feliz ' - 'he's coming, although he's not happy'
but
'Aunque no ESTES conmigo, siempre estarás en mi mente' - 'even if you are not with me, you'll always be in my mind''
Right on to the next video.
This one's by Gloria Estefan from the excellent album 'Mí Tierra', and is called 'Hablemos el mismo idioma' (remember in a recent post, I mentioned the construction 'Let it...', using 'Que' followed by a verb in the subjunctive?
Well this another way of doing it, using the imperative, so 'Hablemos' reads 'LET US speak'
.
Nothing too taxing in this video.
I was just listening to the song a few days ago, and had an odd thought.
If I ran a competition to identify lines from songs, which illustrated, or contained reminders of, as many facets of Spanish grammar as possible, there's a line in this song which would be in the top ten.
Towards the end, the chorus goes 'Hablemos el mismo idioma, da me la mano, mi hermano'
For me, there are four important points in the one line.
First, as already mentioned, 'hablEmos' illustrates how the last vowel in the verb switches from A to E, or vice-versa, when using the imperative (or Subjunctive)
Second 'el mismo idioma' illustrates the exception to the 'nouns ending in 'A' are feminine' rule, reminding us that words ending in 'ama' are from Greek roots, and are masculine - like 'el programa'
Third, and Fourth 'da me la mano' shows how the previously mentioned vowel 'switch' doesn't actually happen in the imperative, in the positive 'tu' form (and you also drop the 's')
Otherwise, you'd say 'des me la mano'.
Note, however, that, in the negative command, it does, so
'no me des la mano' -don't give me your hand'
A couple more examples
With 'llamar' - to call
'llama me' - 'no me llames'
With 'tocar' -to touch
'Toca me' - 'no me toques'
With 'mirar' - to look
'mira me' - 'no me mires'
And, finally, another exception 'LA mano', a noun ending in 'O' which is feminine.
And that's why I keep going on about songs. If you learn the chorus, you'll never forget it.
So, if the content of the post has been a little heavy, just enjoy the videos!!
The first song, I've mentioned before. It's 'Ven a mi', which is a translation of the brilliant 'Stay with me', by Shakespeare's Sister, performed by Il Divo (going to see them, again, in April.Can't wait)
I'm using this song to illustrate what my Teacher refers to as 'Clausulas Ambiguas' or Ambiguous Clauses.
This is a rather tricky characteristic of the Subjunctive (yes, THAT again!)
The Clause referred to is actually a single word in this case. It's 'cuando'.
As you know, the Subjunctive is used often in cases of negation or doubt, and it's the second of those which applies here.
In the video, you'll hear . .
'Cuando el te HAGA sufrir, y te ROMPA el corazón'
instead of
'Cuando el te HACE sufrir'
and
'Cuando no PUEDAS sonreír y MUERAS de dolor'
instead of
'Cuando no PUEDES sonreír y MUERES de dolor'
So why are we using the subjunctive here?
It all hangs on the meaning of the word 'Cuando' - 'When'
In this case it means 'if and when' or 'in the event that', suggesting that the events spoken about may or may not actually occur.
This is different to, say, following instructions for boiling an egg, which might say 'cuando hierve al agua', where the verb 'hervir' (to boil) remains in the indicative, because the water IS going to boil, once you begin to heat it, as opposed to 'Lo haré cuando HIERVA el Océano Antártico' (I'll do it when the Antarctic Ocean boils - i.e. Never!)
The same fine distinction affects the word 'Aunque' - 'Although', when it is used in the sense of 'Even if'
So 'Viene aunque no está feliz ' - 'he's coming, although he's not happy'
but
'Aunque no ESTES conmigo, siempre estarás en mi mente' - 'even if you are not with me, you'll always be in my mind''
Right on to the next video.
This one's by Gloria Estefan from the excellent album 'Mí Tierra', and is called 'Hablemos el mismo idioma' (remember in a recent post, I mentioned the construction 'Let it...', using 'Que' followed by a verb in the subjunctive?
Well this another way of doing it, using the imperative, so 'Hablemos' reads 'LET US speak'
.
Nothing too taxing in this video.
I was just listening to the song a few days ago, and had an odd thought.
If I ran a competition to identify lines from songs, which illustrated, or contained reminders of, as many facets of Spanish grammar as possible, there's a line in this song which would be in the top ten.
Towards the end, the chorus goes 'Hablemos el mismo idioma, da me la mano, mi hermano'
For me, there are four important points in the one line.
First, as already mentioned, 'hablEmos' illustrates how the last vowel in the verb switches from A to E, or vice-versa, when using the imperative (or Subjunctive)
Second 'el mismo idioma' illustrates the exception to the 'nouns ending in 'A' are feminine' rule, reminding us that words ending in 'ama' are from Greek roots, and are masculine - like 'el programa'
Third, and Fourth 'da me la mano' shows how the previously mentioned vowel 'switch' doesn't actually happen in the imperative, in the positive 'tu' form (and you also drop the 's')
Otherwise, you'd say 'des me la mano'.
Note, however, that, in the negative command, it does, so
'no me des la mano' -don't give me your hand'
A couple more examples
With 'llamar' - to call
'llama me' - 'no me llames'
With 'tocar' -to touch
'Toca me' - 'no me toques'
With 'mirar' - to look
'mira me' - 'no me mires'
And, finally, another exception 'LA mano', a noun ending in 'O' which is feminine.
And that's why I keep going on about songs. If you learn the chorus, you'll never forget it.
So, if the content of the post has been a little heavy, just enjoy the videos!!
Wednesday, 30 January 2013
Piano Bar Spanish (Fried Chicken?)
Have you ever noticed that, wherever you go in the world, there's always a local, playing piano in a bar, singing songs in something that sounds a lot like English, but not quite.
A lot of these guys are very talented musicians,and many play more than one instrument, piano, guitar, flute.
I'd imagine that a lot of them are self-taught, playing by ear.
The only problem is that they have learned the song lyrics the same way!
Rather than going out and buying the lyrics (or, nowadays, just downloading them from the Internet) they must have just listened to the songs over and over, until they memorised them.
Consequently, they often don't quite get the words right. Sometimes it's just missing syllables (so you get 'luhh' instead of 'love') sometimes it's just the wrong word altogether.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticising.
It's not always easy for the English speakers to catch all the lyrics of a song (Did Freddie Mercury really sing 'fried chicken' part way through 'One Vision'? That's what it sounded like to me)
I just want to illustrate how easy it is to get lost in a phrase or sentence, because what you heard wasn't what someone said.
Or, in this case, sang.
I was listening, today, to a CD I picked up in Havana last year. It was recorded by a local group called Cuarteto San Miguel (although, when we saw them, in La Pergola restaurant on Calle Obispo, they were a 5-piece, with the addition of an excellent flautist)
I was singing along, as best I could, to a song called 'Buscando la felicidad', when I stopped, and realised that whatI was singing didn't actually make sense.
The line sounded like 'Vayaste, mujer. vayaste'
I can see now where my logic went wrong.
The song continues with lyrics like 'tienes que llorar, tienes que sufrir'
Now, if he wants the woman to cry, and suffer, it's reasonable to expect that he also wants her to leave.
'I want you to leave' is 'quiero que te vayas' - see where I'm going 'te vayas' vs 'vayas te'?
All well and good, except that the imperative positive conjuction of the verb 'ir', for 'tú', is simply 've'. So 'go away' is 've te' (and can be followed by a variety of other words and phrases, in varying degrees of obscenity) and not 'vayas te'
Thinking that this might be a colloquial or alternate method of saying the same thing, I posted a query on the forums at SpanishDict.com (http://www.spanishdict.com/answers)
I had an answer within 5 minutes!
What was actually being sung was 'Fallaste, mujer, fallaste', 'you failed (or got it wrong) woman' and was in the preterite tense, not the imperative.
So, all this goes to prove two points
Listening practise is VERY important.
It's all very well being able to start a conversation in Spanish if you can't follow what the other person is saying. If what you're hearing doesn't make sense, it likely that it's not what they're saying.
Secondly, never be afraid to ask, if you're unsure. The forums at SpanishDict are just one of many sites where people are pleased to help other learners.
Finally, here's a tiny clip I recorded of the aforementioned group, live in Havana.
A lot of these guys are very talented musicians,and many play more than one instrument, piano, guitar, flute.
I'd imagine that a lot of them are self-taught, playing by ear.
The only problem is that they have learned the song lyrics the same way!
Rather than going out and buying the lyrics (or, nowadays, just downloading them from the Internet) they must have just listened to the songs over and over, until they memorised them.
Consequently, they often don't quite get the words right. Sometimes it's just missing syllables (so you get 'luhh' instead of 'love') sometimes it's just the wrong word altogether.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticising.
It's not always easy for the English speakers to catch all the lyrics of a song (Did Freddie Mercury really sing 'fried chicken' part way through 'One Vision'? That's what it sounded like to me)
I just want to illustrate how easy it is to get lost in a phrase or sentence, because what you heard wasn't what someone said.
Or, in this case, sang.
I was listening, today, to a CD I picked up in Havana last year. It was recorded by a local group called Cuarteto San Miguel (although, when we saw them, in La Pergola restaurant on Calle Obispo, they were a 5-piece, with the addition of an excellent flautist)
I was singing along, as best I could, to a song called 'Buscando la felicidad', when I stopped, and realised that whatI was singing didn't actually make sense.
The line sounded like 'Vayaste, mujer. vayaste'
I can see now where my logic went wrong.
The song continues with lyrics like 'tienes que llorar, tienes que sufrir'
Now, if he wants the woman to cry, and suffer, it's reasonable to expect that he also wants her to leave.
'I want you to leave' is 'quiero que te vayas' - see where I'm going 'te vayas' vs 'vayas te'?
All well and good, except that the imperative positive conjuction of the verb 'ir', for 'tú', is simply 've'. So 'go away' is 've te' (and can be followed by a variety of other words and phrases, in varying degrees of obscenity) and not 'vayas te'
Thinking that this might be a colloquial or alternate method of saying the same thing, I posted a query on the forums at SpanishDict.com (http://www.spanishdict.com/answers)
I had an answer within 5 minutes!
What was actually being sung was 'Fallaste, mujer, fallaste', 'you failed (or got it wrong) woman' and was in the preterite tense, not the imperative.
So, all this goes to prove two points
Listening practise is VERY important.
It's all very well being able to start a conversation in Spanish if you can't follow what the other person is saying. If what you're hearing doesn't make sense, it likely that it's not what they're saying.
Secondly, never be afraid to ask, if you're unsure. The forums at SpanishDict are just one of many sites where people are pleased to help other learners.
Finally, here's a tiny clip I recorded of the aforementioned group, live in Havana.
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Let it be . . .
I've mentioned before how I enjoy listening to music in Spanish.
It's a great way of picking up new vocabulary, while giving you a good excuse to watch Shakira videos ;¬)
How great, then, when a particular song perfectly illustrates a concept you've been learning in class!
Everyone has the pain of getting to grips with the Spanish subjunctive mood.
It's not so much the conjugation, as knowing when to use it, and when not to use it.
You might have used it, for instance, a couple of weeks ago, on New Year's Eve.
When you wish for things for the New Year, in Spanish, you would invariably use the Subjunctive.
For example '(I hope) that I get a new job', '(I wish) that there were no more wars' would demand the subjunctive, as 'espero que' and other verbs of desire, or wishing, do.
The reason I put 'I hope' and 'I wish' in brackets is that they are commonly not actually spoken in Spanish, but implied.
So 'Que tengas una buena semana' literally means 'That you have a good week', but implies 'I HOPE that you have a good week'
This is a very common construction, but actually has two uses.
One, as mentioned, is to imply a wish.
The other is a way of saying 'Let . . . .'
So 'Que lo pase' isn't 'That it happens' but 'LET it happen' and
'Que yo hable' isn't 'That I speak' but 'LET me speak'
What does this have to do with Shakira?
Watch her video at http://www.musica.com/video.asp?video=1727, and read along with the lyrics.
You'll see that both forms are used in the song.
So, we have 'Que se arruinen los canales de noticias'
'LET them ruin all the TV news channels'
AND
'Pero que me quedes tu
Y me quede tu abrazo'
'But so long as I keep you and your embrace' - it doesn't exactly use the word 'wish', but the sentiment is there.
Anyhow, it's a great song, interesting too, as virtually every verb is conjugated in the subjunctive.
But there's even more to it, as many of the sentences are also written in what is know as the 'Passive Voice'
This means that things become rather complicated when you try to identify the Subject and Object, grammatically speaking.
For example, looking again at
'Que se arruinen los canales de noticias' you might think that the verb is reflexive, and that 'se arruinen' means 'let them ruin themselves', in which case 'los canales' become both Subject and Object, but you would be wrong.
It actually means 'Let the news channels be (or get) ruined', and doesn't actually specify by who.
See how many more examples you can spot in the lyrics.
¡Que lo disfrutes!
It's a great way of picking up new vocabulary, while giving you a good excuse to watch Shakira videos ;¬)
How great, then, when a particular song perfectly illustrates a concept you've been learning in class!
Everyone has the pain of getting to grips with the Spanish subjunctive mood.
It's not so much the conjugation, as knowing when to use it, and when not to use it.
You might have used it, for instance, a couple of weeks ago, on New Year's Eve.
When you wish for things for the New Year, in Spanish, you would invariably use the Subjunctive.
For example '(I hope) that I get a new job', '(I wish) that there were no more wars' would demand the subjunctive, as 'espero que' and other verbs of desire, or wishing, do.
The reason I put 'I hope' and 'I wish' in brackets is that they are commonly not actually spoken in Spanish, but implied.
So 'Que tengas una buena semana' literally means 'That you have a good week', but implies 'I HOPE that you have a good week'
This is a very common construction, but actually has two uses.
One, as mentioned, is to imply a wish.
The other is a way of saying 'Let . . . .'
So 'Que lo pase' isn't 'That it happens' but 'LET it happen' and
'Que yo hable' isn't 'That I speak' but 'LET me speak'
What does this have to do with Shakira?
Watch her video at http://www.musica.com/video.asp?video=1727, and read along with the lyrics.
You'll see that both forms are used in the song.
So, we have 'Que se arruinen los canales de noticias'
'LET them ruin all the TV news channels'
AND
'Pero que me quedes tu
Y me quede tu abrazo'
'But so long as I keep you and your embrace' - it doesn't exactly use the word 'wish', but the sentiment is there.
Anyhow, it's a great song, interesting too, as virtually every verb is conjugated in the subjunctive.
But there's even more to it, as many of the sentences are also written in what is know as the 'Passive Voice'
This means that things become rather complicated when you try to identify the Subject and Object, grammatically speaking.
For example, looking again at
'Que se arruinen los canales de noticias' you might think that the verb is reflexive, and that 'se arruinen' means 'let them ruin themselves', in which case 'los canales' become both Subject and Object, but you would be wrong.
It actually means 'Let the news channels be (or get) ruined', and doesn't actually specify by who.
See how many more examples you can spot in the lyrics.
¡Que lo disfrutes!
Saturday, 12 January 2013
It's Grimm but it's good practice!
Sometimes, you work and work at your Spanish, and you begin to wonder if you're actually making any progress.
If you don't have anyone to practise with, there's often no way of testing yourself.
Watching Spanish language TV on cable, satellite or the Internet is fine, but it's nice when mainstream TV air an episode of a popular show, which has quite a large amount of Spanish content.
What's nicer still, and a real confidence booster, is when you read the subtitles (after translating for yourself, of course), or listen to one of the other characters translate, for the benefit of the monolingual hero and his sidekick, and realise just how much you do understand!
I had just such an experience, the other night, watching the 9th episode of season 2 of Grimm.
The episode is called 'La llorona' (the crying woman) and makes reference to a South American legend about the ghost of a woman who drowned herself and her children after being abandoned by her lover (or husband in another version)
Ironically, I actually knew this story, as a lot of profesora Ximena's lessons include work on South American culture, as well as language.
Right from the start, there is conversation between a hispanic man and his young son (without any translation, so you're on your own here)
Later the same man talks to the police, and other Spanish-speaking characters join the action. There's a mixture of subtitles and verbal translation, but most of the dialogue is fairly straightforward, without being too simplistic, and takes place at an average pace.
My better half ( that's 'media naranja' in Spanish vernacular, but I digress) was about 20% impressed by my translation, but 80% annoyed that I kept pausing the recording to do it :-p
If you want to check out the episode, and prove to yourself that you're actually making progress in real-world Spanish, you can do the following
1) if you're in the United States, just search for Grimm s2 ep9on NBC, Hulu, or Xfinity
2) if you're not in the US, try http://www.tvstreamingworld.com/2012/10/grimm-season-2-episode-9-la-llorona-2/
WARNING!!! ensure your pop-up blocker is active, this site does generate advertising pop-ups, one at least is Adult oriented. Another is for a site called Zedo.com which has big 'Download' and 'Play' buttons on it - DO NOT click them, if the page opens, just close it.
On the page, scroll down until you see a window with several tabs, marked Video1, Video2, Video3, Extra Video.
DO NOT click the link, which looks like a video player, saying 'your system doesn't support this video file', it will just try to get you to download the iLivid player, and other associated junkware, which you DO NOT NEED to view the episode.
Unfortunately, what you DO need is Flash player so if, like me, you have an Android tablet, it's back to the PC for this one.
So, next, click on the Video2 tab, type in the words shown in the window (you may need to click the 'new puzzle' arrow before they appear) click 'submit and continue to video', click 'hide ad and play video' and you're off.
I know this might seem a bit fiddly but it's worth it, even if you're not a Grimm fan.
Of course, there's always the option of searching the torrent sites, but they're even more prone to inappropriate advertising and spurious downloads.
¡Que lo disfruten!
If you don't have anyone to practise with, there's often no way of testing yourself.
Watching Spanish language TV on cable, satellite or the Internet is fine, but it's nice when mainstream TV air an episode of a popular show, which has quite a large amount of Spanish content.
What's nicer still, and a real confidence booster, is when you read the subtitles (after translating for yourself, of course), or listen to one of the other characters translate, for the benefit of the monolingual hero and his sidekick, and realise just how much you do understand!
I had just such an experience, the other night, watching the 9th episode of season 2 of Grimm.
The episode is called 'La llorona' (the crying woman) and makes reference to a South American legend about the ghost of a woman who drowned herself and her children after being abandoned by her lover (or husband in another version)
Ironically, I actually knew this story, as a lot of profesora Ximena's lessons include work on South American culture, as well as language.
Right from the start, there is conversation between a hispanic man and his young son (without any translation, so you're on your own here)
Later the same man talks to the police, and other Spanish-speaking characters join the action. There's a mixture of subtitles and verbal translation, but most of the dialogue is fairly straightforward, without being too simplistic, and takes place at an average pace.
My better half ( that's 'media naranja' in Spanish vernacular, but I digress) was about 20% impressed by my translation, but 80% annoyed that I kept pausing the recording to do it :-p
If you want to check out the episode, and prove to yourself that you're actually making progress in real-world Spanish, you can do the following
1) if you're in the United States, just search for Grimm s2 ep9on NBC, Hulu, or Xfinity
2) if you're not in the US, try http://www.tvstreamingworld.com/2012/10/grimm-season-2-episode-9-la-llorona-2/
WARNING!!! ensure your pop-up blocker is active, this site does generate advertising pop-ups, one at least is Adult oriented. Another is for a site called Zedo.com which has big 'Download' and 'Play' buttons on it - DO NOT click them, if the page opens, just close it.
On the page, scroll down until you see a window with several tabs, marked Video1, Video2, Video3, Extra Video.
DO NOT click the link, which looks like a video player, saying 'your system doesn't support this video file', it will just try to get you to download the iLivid player, and other associated junkware, which you DO NOT NEED to view the episode.
Unfortunately, what you DO need is Flash player so if, like me, you have an Android tablet, it's back to the PC for this one.
So, next, click on the Video2 tab, type in the words shown in the window (you may need to click the 'new puzzle' arrow before they appear) click 'submit and continue to video', click 'hide ad and play video' and you're off.
I know this might seem a bit fiddly but it's worth it, even if you're not a Grimm fan.
Of course, there's always the option of searching the torrent sites, but they're even more prone to inappropriate advertising and spurious downloads.
¡Que lo disfruten!
Friday, 4 January 2013
Getting a grip - the sequel
Now, I've never claimed to a Spanish Teacher.
Just like you, I'm still learning, taking regular lessons, and I pretty much write this blog on the fly, without too much preparation, as ideas pop into my head.
So, occasionally, I miss things.
This morning, I woke up realising I'd left out a fairly important example from my last posting.
Ironically, it was the subject of the previous post.
'Tengo que' -'I have to' can, of course, be followed by any verb in its infinitive form.
'Tengo que llamar a mis padres' - I have to call my parents
'Tuve que ir a la escuela' - I had to go to school
'Tendré que preparar la cena' - I will have to prepare dinner.
Obviously this means that its partner 'deber' can be used in the same way
'Debo pagar' - I should pay.
I also remembered that adjectival phrases can be followed by an infinitive, so you can say
'Es interesante verlo' - It's interesting TO see it'
'Es difícil hacer' - It's hard TO do
This is also a good way of avoiding the subjunctive, using an infinitive after an adjective, so you can say
'Es importante comer' - it's important TO eat, instead of
'es importante que comas' - it's important THAT you eat
Not that you should avoid the subjunctive. It's an important part of everyday Spanish but, until you're confident with it, it's nice to have an alternative.
Let's also throw in the word 'Como' (how), in the sense of 'how to', so -
'No sé COMO hacerlo' - I don't know HOW TO do it
Now let's mix the two together, and get
'Es interesante ver como hacerlo' - It's interesting to see how to do it
That's three verbs in one sentence, and the only conjugation we had to do was 'Es'
That's all for now but, if any other examples occur to me, I'll add them in a future post.
Just like you, I'm still learning, taking regular lessons, and I pretty much write this blog on the fly, without too much preparation, as ideas pop into my head.
So, occasionally, I miss things.
This morning, I woke up realising I'd left out a fairly important example from my last posting.
Ironically, it was the subject of the previous post.
'Tengo que' -'I have to' can, of course, be followed by any verb in its infinitive form.
'Tengo que llamar a mis padres' - I have to call my parents
'Tuve que ir a la escuela' - I had to go to school
'Tendré que preparar la cena' - I will have to prepare dinner.
Obviously this means that its partner 'deber' can be used in the same way
'Debo pagar' - I should pay.
I also remembered that adjectival phrases can be followed by an infinitive, so you can say
'Es interesante verlo' - It's interesting TO see it'
'Es difícil hacer' - It's hard TO do
This is also a good way of avoiding the subjunctive, using an infinitive after an adjective, so you can say
'Es importante comer' - it's important TO eat, instead of
'es importante que comas' - it's important THAT you eat
Not that you should avoid the subjunctive. It's an important part of everyday Spanish but, until you're confident with it, it's nice to have an alternative.
Let's also throw in the word 'Como' (how), in the sense of 'how to', so -
'No sé COMO hacerlo' - I don't know HOW TO do it
Now let's mix the two together, and get
'Es interesante ver como hacerlo' - It's interesting to see how to do it
That's three verbs in one sentence, and the only conjugation we had to do was 'Es'
That's all for now but, if any other examples occur to me, I'll add them in a future post.
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Getting a grip on some basic Spanish
Periodically, I replay my way through the various audio lessons with which I first began learning Spanish.
I find it serves two functions. One is to encourage me, by showing how much I've learned. The other is to help avoid complacency, by reminding me how much I've forgotten.
The other day, I was listening to a Michel Adam recording, when he used an interesting phrase
"A good handle"
He was referring to words or constructions which, once memorised, could easily be used as building blocks, to construct more complex sentences, just by tacking on an infinitive.
This means you can begin to use new verbs, which you've juts learned, immediately, without having to stop and think about how they're conjugated.
One of the simplest 'handles' I can think of is 'Quiero' - 'I want'
Just stick the infinitive form of a verb on the end, and you can ask for all sorts of things.
Quiero comer - I want to eat
Quiero ir - I want to go
Quiero dormir - I want to sleep
Quiero comprar algo - I want to buy something
Of course, you can be a little more polite and use, say 'me gustaria', or 'quisiera', both of which mean 'I would like'. Then there's 'me gusta' - 'I like' and 'necesito' - 'I need'
If you are wanting someone else to do something, you could try 'puede', or 'puedes' - 'can you?'
'¿Puedes ayudarme?' - can you help me?
'¿Puede decirme?' - can you tell me?
As with 'quiero', there are more polite forms, like 'pudiera(s)' - 'could you?', or 'podria(s)' - 'would you?'
Another construction, which will be familiar, if you've started looking at the Future tenses, is 'voy a' - 'I'm going to'
'Voy a buscar un hotel' - 'I'm going to find a hotel'
This verb'ir' also works just as well in the Past as 'iba a' - 'I was going to'
'Yo iba a decirtelo' - 'I was going to tell you it'
Speaking of which, going back to 'poder' (to be able), if you use the past tense(s) you can say either 'no pude' or 'no podía' so, for example 'no pude entenderlo' - 'I couldn't understand it'
I'm sure, as you progress, you'll come across more of these useful words and snippets, which you can hang infinitives on, to make your speech more interesting, without having to tackle the conjugations of every new verb before you're ready, but here's a goodie, to finish with
'Acabar de' - to have just done something
Example:
' Acabo de terminar' - 'I have just finished' ;-)
¡Hasta pronto!
I find it serves two functions. One is to encourage me, by showing how much I've learned. The other is to help avoid complacency, by reminding me how much I've forgotten.
The other day, I was listening to a Michel Adam recording, when he used an interesting phrase
"A good handle"
He was referring to words or constructions which, once memorised, could easily be used as building blocks, to construct more complex sentences, just by tacking on an infinitive.
This means you can begin to use new verbs, which you've juts learned, immediately, without having to stop and think about how they're conjugated.
One of the simplest 'handles' I can think of is 'Quiero' - 'I want'
Just stick the infinitive form of a verb on the end, and you can ask for all sorts of things.
Quiero comer - I want to eat
Quiero ir - I want to go
Quiero dormir - I want to sleep
Quiero comprar algo - I want to buy something
Of course, you can be a little more polite and use, say 'me gustaria', or 'quisiera', both of which mean 'I would like'. Then there's 'me gusta' - 'I like' and 'necesito' - 'I need'
If you are wanting someone else to do something, you could try 'puede', or 'puedes' - 'can you?'
'¿Puedes ayudarme?' - can you help me?
'¿Puede decirme?' - can you tell me?
As with 'quiero', there are more polite forms, like 'pudiera(s)' - 'could you?', or 'podria(s)' - 'would you?'
Another construction, which will be familiar, if you've started looking at the Future tenses, is 'voy a' - 'I'm going to'
'Voy a buscar un hotel' - 'I'm going to find a hotel'
This verb'ir' also works just as well in the Past as 'iba a' - 'I was going to'
'Yo iba a decirtelo' - 'I was going to tell you it'
Speaking of which, going back to 'poder' (to be able), if you use the past tense(s) you can say either 'no pude' or 'no podía' so, for example 'no pude entenderlo' - 'I couldn't understand it'
I'm sure, as you progress, you'll come across more of these useful words and snippets, which you can hang infinitives on, to make your speech more interesting, without having to tackle the conjugations of every new verb before you're ready, but here's a goodie, to finish with
'Acabar de' - to have just done something
Example:
' Acabo de terminar' - 'I have just finished' ;-)
¡Hasta pronto!
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
Well, SHOULD we, or SHOULD we NOT?
I'm sure you're familiar with the phrase 'tiene que', meaning 'you have to'.
Another common way of saying 'you should' or 'you must' is to use the verb deber.
So, consider the following sentences:
'Tienes que manejar, no tienes que viajar por avión'
'Debes manejar, no debes viajar por avión'
Apart from the subtle difference between 'you have to' and 'you should', normally implied by the choice of verb, can you see any difference?
You may have spotted it immediately, but it's worth pointing it out, just so that you're aware of the structural difference between the two forms.
The first says
'You have to drive, you DON'T HAVE TO fly'
While the second says
'You must drive, you MUST NOT fly'
The point here is that 'tener que' and 'deber' are very similar in a positive context, but quite different in the negative.
The difference extends across all tenses, so you could say
'No habría tenido que pagar'-' you should not have had to pay'
'No habría debido pagar' - 'you should not have paid'
I hope that's solved another problem you didn't even know you had.
¡Feliz Navidad!
Another common way of saying 'you should' or 'you must' is to use the verb deber.
So, consider the following sentences:
'Tienes que manejar, no tienes que viajar por avión'
'Debes manejar, no debes viajar por avión'
Apart from the subtle difference between 'you have to' and 'you should', normally implied by the choice of verb, can you see any difference?
You may have spotted it immediately, but it's worth pointing it out, just so that you're aware of the structural difference between the two forms.
The first says
'You have to drive, you DON'T HAVE TO fly'
While the second says
'You must drive, you MUST NOT fly'
The point here is that 'tener que' and 'deber' are very similar in a positive context, but quite different in the negative.
The difference extends across all tenses, so you could say
'No habría tenido que pagar'-' you should not have had to pay'
'No habría debido pagar' - 'you should not have paid'
I hope that's solved another problem you didn't even know you had.
¡Feliz Navidad!
Sunday, 21 October 2012
It's got to be.e.e.e.e.e.e perfect
Learning to speak Spanish is, like Genius, 99 percent perspiration but, just occasionally, you come across one simple thing that allows you to take a huge step forward,with very little extra effort.
We all know that verb conjugation is the backbone of any language,but it can be backbreaking work, learning the conjugations of all the verbs in all the tenses.
So, how about if I told you that you could conjugate EIGHT different tenses just by conjugating ONE verb?
It sounds too good to be true but, just this once, it really is that simple.
Look at this example.
I have eaten. We had eaten.They will have eaten.
I have been.You had been.He will have been.
He has spoken. She had spoken. I will have spoken.
We've just used three verbs, in three different tenses,and different 'persons' but used the same form of the verb in each case - the past participle - eaten,been,and spoken.
The only verb we actually had to conjugate was 'have'.
The same is true in Spanish.
Using the verb 'haber' and the past participle of any other verb, you can create the so-called 'perfect'tenses.
So, let's list the tenses.
I have built it - Lo he construido - present perfect
I had eaten - Yo había comido - pluperfect
I will have done it - Lo habré hecho - future perfect
I would have bought it - Lo habría comprado - conditional perfect
It's good that you have read it - Es bueno que tu lo hayas leido - present perfect subjunctive
I doubted that he had seen me - Yo dudaba que él me hubiera visto - pluperfect subjunctive Thanks for having been here - Gracias por haber estado aquí - perfect infinitive
Perhaps the claim of EIGHT tenses was a little exaggerated, as the remaining one is rarely used, even in literature, but it doesn't hurt to be able to identify it.
After I had eaten, I went out - Después de que hube comido, salí - preterite perfect
Apart from the conjugations of the verb 'haber', all you need for all the other verbs is the past participle.
To get this with most regular verbs - drop 'ir' or 'er' from the end of the infinitive, and add 'ido' Examples:
Comer - comido
Vender - vendido
Salir - salido
With 'ar'verbs, just drop the 'ar'and add 'ado'
Examples:
Comprar - comprado
Llorar - llorado
Pensar - pensado
Estar - estado
Of course, as usual in Spanish, there are a fair few irregular verbs, but I'm afraid, for them, it's back to the perspiration, and learn them as best you can.
A few examples:
Ver - visto
Ser - sido
Hacer - hecho
Decir - dicho
Poner - puesto
I'm not going to list the conjugations of haber here as, now you know about it, there are dozens of places to find verb charts, like http://www.spanishdict.com/conjugate/haber.
I hope that you found this useful or, put another way,
'Espero que tu lo hayas encontrado útil'
¡Hasta la próxima!
We all know that verb conjugation is the backbone of any language,but it can be backbreaking work, learning the conjugations of all the verbs in all the tenses.
So, how about if I told you that you could conjugate EIGHT different tenses just by conjugating ONE verb?
It sounds too good to be true but, just this once, it really is that simple.
Look at this example.
I have eaten. We had eaten.They will have eaten.
I have been.You had been.He will have been.
He has spoken. She had spoken. I will have spoken.
We've just used three verbs, in three different tenses,and different 'persons' but used the same form of the verb in each case - the past participle - eaten,been,and spoken.
The only verb we actually had to conjugate was 'have'.
The same is true in Spanish.
Using the verb 'haber' and the past participle of any other verb, you can create the so-called 'perfect'tenses.
So, let's list the tenses.
I have built it - Lo he construido - present perfect
I had eaten - Yo había comido - pluperfect
I will have done it - Lo habré hecho - future perfect
I would have bought it - Lo habría comprado - conditional perfect
It's good that you have read it - Es bueno que tu lo hayas leido - present perfect subjunctive
I doubted that he had seen me - Yo dudaba que él me hubiera visto - pluperfect subjunctive Thanks for having been here - Gracias por haber estado aquí - perfect infinitive
Perhaps the claim of EIGHT tenses was a little exaggerated, as the remaining one is rarely used, even in literature, but it doesn't hurt to be able to identify it.
After I had eaten, I went out - Después de que hube comido, salí - preterite perfect
Apart from the conjugations of the verb 'haber', all you need for all the other verbs is the past participle.
To get this with most regular verbs - drop 'ir' or 'er' from the end of the infinitive, and add 'ido' Examples:
Comer - comido
Vender - vendido
Salir - salido
With 'ar'verbs, just drop the 'ar'and add 'ado'
Examples:
Comprar - comprado
Llorar - llorado
Pensar - pensado
Estar - estado
Of course, as usual in Spanish, there are a fair few irregular verbs, but I'm afraid, for them, it's back to the perspiration, and learn them as best you can.
A few examples:
Ver - visto
Ser - sido
Hacer - hecho
Decir - dicho
Poner - puesto
I'm not going to list the conjugations of haber here as, now you know about it, there are dozens of places to find verb charts, like http://www.spanishdict.com/conjugate/haber.
I hope that you found this useful or, put another way,
'Espero que tu lo hayas encontrado útil'
¡Hasta la próxima!
Friday, 21 September 2012
Read to me in Spanish, my Android friend.
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll know that I started learning to speak Spanish with audio lessons, in my car, after my workplace shifted some 35 miles further up the M1.
I still listen to Spanish every day in the car, only now it's podcasts, Spanish music, recordings of me reading lists of verbs and clauses which generate the subjunctive (honest!), audio tracks ripped from YouTube videos which I have to study for homework and, most recently, recordings of my lessons in Secondlife, with Ximena.
Well, now I have something else to listen to.
Step forward, Talkadroid.
If you have an Android phone, or other device, you may have experimented with the TTS (text to speech) settings.
Well, as Spanish is a strictly phonetic language, it lends itself perfectly to TTS, and Talkadroid is an application which acts as a front end for the TTS and allows you to
Talkadroid also allows you to vary the speed of the reading, to make it easier to follow.
The Talkadroid App is available from Google play for a very reasonable 99p.
There's also a free 'Lite' version, but I didn't bother trying it out.
To get the best out of the App, I also recommend installing SVox Classic TTS.
SVox is a Swiss company which specialises in language packs for such devices as SatNavs, and Spanish is only one of over 30 language packs available (actually more than one, as there's a choice of European or Mexican pronunciation)
The Android App is free, but you then need to buy your chosen language pack (although there is a free trial available) I'm currently trialling Mexican Angelica (so to speak) but will definitely be handing over the princely sum of £1.99 when the trail period is up.
You can buy the App here and there's a short video too, showing what the App can do.
I hope you find it as useful as I have.
I still listen to Spanish every day in the car, only now it's podcasts, Spanish music, recordings of me reading lists of verbs and clauses which generate the subjunctive (honest!), audio tracks ripped from YouTube videos which I have to study for homework and, most recently, recordings of my lessons in Secondlife, with Ximena.
Well, now I have something else to listen to.
Step forward, Talkadroid.
If you have an Android phone, or other device, you may have experimented with the TTS (text to speech) settings.
Well, as Spanish is a strictly phonetic language, it lends itself perfectly to TTS, and Talkadroid is an application which acts as a front end for the TTS and allows you to
- Type a word in and have it read out loud (nothing exciting so far)
- Have it read in a number of different 'languages' - the language packs you can install determine how the TTS deals with the pronunciation of each combination of letters
- Speak and have your speech typed on screen
- Speak or type in a word or phrase, have it appear on screen, then have it translated to your chosen language, typed on screen and read out loud, in that language!
- Open a webpage in your browser, 'share' it with Talkadroid, which will then read it to you.
Talkadroid also allows you to vary the speed of the reading, to make it easier to follow.
The Talkadroid App is available from Google play for a very reasonable 99p.
There's also a free 'Lite' version, but I didn't bother trying it out.
To get the best out of the App, I also recommend installing SVox Classic TTS.
SVox is a Swiss company which specialises in language packs for such devices as SatNavs, and Spanish is only one of over 30 language packs available (actually more than one, as there's a choice of European or Mexican pronunciation)
The Android App is free, but you then need to buy your chosen language pack (although there is a free trial available) I'm currently trialling Mexican Angelica (so to speak) but will definitely be handing over the princely sum of £1.99 when the trail period is up.
You can buy the App here and there's a short video too, showing what the App can do.
I hope you find it as useful as I have.
Monday, 13 August 2012
How do you feel?
So what's the difference between 'sentir' and 'sentirse'?
I'd always assumed it was something to do with one being more subjective (I feel ill) as opposed to physical (it feels hard).
Well (surprise, surprise) I was wrong.
In meaning, at any rate, they are the same.
What differs is the structure.
As simple as I can make it . .
Siento = I feel - followed by a noun - e.g. annoyance, happiness
Me siento = I feel - followed by an adjective - e.g. annoyed, happy.
That's all there is to it!
To remember which one to use a noun with, I think of the phrase for 'sorry' (lo siento) which literally means 'I feel it'.
'Lo' is a pronoun (stands in for a noun) so, as long as you remember it's 'lo siento' and not 'me lo siento', you've just mastered another part of the Spanish language ;¬)
Of course, I can't let a discussion about feeling pass, without, at least, mentioning 'estar', 'dar' and 'tener'
Phrases using 'dar' and 'tener' are like the ones using 'sentir', in that they use a noun.
So, three ways to say 'I'm hungry', using the noun 'hunger'
Siento hambre (I feel hunger)
Me da hambre (It gives me hunger [makes me hungry])
Tengo hambre (I have hunger) - This is the phrase you will normally hear - the others are just for examples of structure
Or, using the adjective, you could say (although you probably wouldn't)
Me siento hambriento (I feel hungry)
Estoy hambriento (I feel hungry)
There are some phrases which are more commonly used 'set' expressions, like 'tengo hambre', 'tengo calor' (I'm hot) 'Estoy caliente' also means 'I'm hot' but, if you're a woman, I wouldn't recommend saying it to a red-blooded latino, unless you're prepared for the results ;¬)
There's also 'me da pena' (it pains me) and you'll no doubt come across several more, but now at least you can begin working on your own set of alternative expressions.
I hope you're not feeling too confused after all that ;¬)
¡Hasta pronto!
I'd always assumed it was something to do with one being more subjective (I feel ill) as opposed to physical (it feels hard).
Well (surprise, surprise) I was wrong.
In meaning, at any rate, they are the same.
What differs is the structure.
As simple as I can make it . .
Siento = I feel - followed by a noun - e.g. annoyance, happiness
Me siento = I feel - followed by an adjective - e.g. annoyed, happy.
That's all there is to it!
To remember which one to use a noun with, I think of the phrase for 'sorry' (lo siento) which literally means 'I feel it'.
'Lo' is a pronoun (stands in for a noun) so, as long as you remember it's 'lo siento' and not 'me lo siento', you've just mastered another part of the Spanish language ;¬)
Of course, I can't let a discussion about feeling pass, without, at least, mentioning 'estar', 'dar' and 'tener'
Phrases using 'dar' and 'tener' are like the ones using 'sentir', in that they use a noun.
So, three ways to say 'I'm hungry', using the noun 'hunger'
Siento hambre (I feel hunger)
Me da hambre (It gives me hunger [makes me hungry])
Tengo hambre (I have hunger) - This is the phrase you will normally hear - the others are just for examples of structure
Or, using the adjective, you could say (although you probably wouldn't)
Me siento hambriento (I feel hungry)
Estoy hambriento (I feel hungry)
There are some phrases which are more commonly used 'set' expressions, like 'tengo hambre', 'tengo calor' (I'm hot) 'Estoy caliente' also means 'I'm hot' but, if you're a woman, I wouldn't recommend saying it to a red-blooded latino, unless you're prepared for the results ;¬)
There's also 'me da pena' (it pains me) and you'll no doubt come across several more, but now at least you can begin working on your own set of alternative expressions.
I hope you're not feeling too confused after all that ;¬)
¡Hasta pronto!
Sunday, 29 July 2012
The Fiestas of Mexico - part 2 uploaded.
The second part of Ximena's presentation on the fiestas and celebrations of Mexico, with English translation (of a sort ;¬) is now available on You Tube.
Lo, La, or Le?
I've referred before to the excellent podcasts, created by Mercedes Leon, from Barcelona, at www.spanishpodcast.org, and how I habitually listen to them, while driving to work.
Recently, I was listening to one which dealt with what can be a fundamental issue for novice Spanish learners, and it occurred to me that someone might benefit from a translation of some of Mercedes' words of wisdom , well before they reach the level of fluency required to enjoy her podcasts.
The original transcript of the podcast, mainly in Spanish, is at http://www.spanishpodcast.org/podcasts_con_transcripcion/dileT.html .
I'm sure Mercedes wouldn't mind me converting at least some of the concepts from it into English.
Firstly, lets get some scary grammatical terms out of the way.
1)Pronoun: a word which replaces a noun. If the 'ball' is the noun, 'it' is the pronoun. If 'Roger' is the noun, 'him' is the pronoun.
2) Direct Object: This is the thing or person that the verb acts upon. So, in the sentence 'I throw the ball', the ball is the Direct Object of the verb. Which means that, in the sentence 'I throw it' (meaning the ball) 'it' is the Direct Object Pronoun, the pronoun which takes the place of the Direct Object.
3)Indirect Object: something that 'receives' or 'suffers' the RESULT of the verb acting on the Direct Object. I realise that sounds really obscure, so let's clarify with an example. 'I throw the ball to Sam'. Sam is the Indirect Object of me throwing the ball (the ball is the Direct Object of my throwing)
Put it all together and we get 'I threw it to him', where 'it' is the Direct Object Pronoun, standing for the ball, and 'him' is the Indirect Object Pronoun, standing for Sam.
If you're still not sure, try this test.
Ask WHAT is thrown?
Answer:it/the ball (Direct Obj)
To (or at) WHO (or what) is it thrown?
Answer:him/Sam (Indirect Obj)
But what's all this really about?
Three simple words 'lo', 'la', and 'le'.
In their simplest forms,in order, they mean 'him or it', 'her or it' , and 'to him, to her or to it' (can also mean 'of', or 'from' him,her or it, as well as some other meanings)
In English, things are really simple, because you don't have any choice but to use 'him', 'her', or 'it' for both direct and indirect pronoun.
Give him the book (= give the book TO him). . him = Indirect Object Pronoun - 'the book' was the thing being given (Direct Obj Pronoun)
I took him to school . . him = Direct Object Pronoun - 'HE' was the person or thing taken
but both examples use 'him' as the Object Pronoun, Indirect or Direct
In Spanish
Di le el libro = to HIM (le) give the book
Lo llevo a la escuela = HIM (lo) I take to school
differentiating between HIM and TO Him
So trying to make it as strightforward as possible (and I didn't realise how difficult that would be :¬) If the verb acts DIRECTLY on the thing or person, use the Direct Obj Pronoun 'Lo' or ''La'
Examples:
I pushed it - Lo empujé
I threw it - Lo eché
I hit him - Lo golpeé
I found her - La encontré
If the verb has an INDIRECT action on the thing or person, use the Indirect Obj Pronoun 'Le' Examples:
I threw the toy to her - Le eché el jugete a ella (here 'a ella' is added, to clarify the gender of the recipient, as 'le' can be regarded as a neutral pronoun)
I read the book to him - Le leí el libro
I gave him lunch - Le dí el almuerzo
Unfortunately Spanish has one more 'gotcha', which I really need to include.
As you probably know, when you carry out an action on a person, rather than an object, Spanish insists that you include an 'a' after the verb.
Example:
Golpeé a Sam - I hit Sam.
Recogí a los niños - I collected the kids.
Now the usual translation of the word 'a' is 'to'.
This can cause confusion, when identifying your pronoun.
I said that 'le' means 'to him' so, surely, 'a Sam' means 'to Sam', so wouldn't you say 'Le golpeé'?
Unfortunately not.
The 'a' in these cases doesn't mean 'to'. It's just a way of personalising the verb, to identify that it is acting on a person, rather than an object, so the correct version is 'Lo golpeé'
I'd like to be able to give you a formula for avoiding this error, but the only method I can think of is to construct the sentence in English, realise that the word 'to' is not included in the English version, then translate it, but that rather contradicts my preference for trying to think in Spanish, so your brain isn't trying to handle two languages at once!
Otherwise you could try asking yourself what the construction would be, if you substituted an inanimate object, or an animal, for the person.
Apart from that, I just want to be sure that you're aware of the trap, and leave it to you to find a way of not falling in to it.
Well this has turned out to be a much more complicated explanation than I expected (honestly Mercede's Spanish version seems a lot simpler) but I hope it has given you a few pointers on how to sort out Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns.
¡Hasta la próxima!
Recently, I was listening to one which dealt with what can be a fundamental issue for novice Spanish learners, and it occurred to me that someone might benefit from a translation of some of Mercedes' words of wisdom , well before they reach the level of fluency required to enjoy her podcasts.
The original transcript of the podcast, mainly in Spanish, is at http://www.spanishpodcast.org/podcasts_con_transcripcion/dileT.html .
I'm sure Mercedes wouldn't mind me converting at least some of the concepts from it into English.
Firstly, lets get some scary grammatical terms out of the way.
1)Pronoun: a word which replaces a noun. If the 'ball' is the noun, 'it' is the pronoun. If 'Roger' is the noun, 'him' is the pronoun.
2) Direct Object: This is the thing or person that the verb acts upon. So, in the sentence 'I throw the ball', the ball is the Direct Object of the verb. Which means that, in the sentence 'I throw it' (meaning the ball) 'it' is the Direct Object Pronoun, the pronoun which takes the place of the Direct Object.
3)Indirect Object: something that 'receives' or 'suffers' the RESULT of the verb acting on the Direct Object. I realise that sounds really obscure, so let's clarify with an example. 'I throw the ball to Sam'. Sam is the Indirect Object of me throwing the ball (the ball is the Direct Object of my throwing)
Put it all together and we get 'I threw it to him', where 'it' is the Direct Object Pronoun, standing for the ball, and 'him' is the Indirect Object Pronoun, standing for Sam.
If you're still not sure, try this test.
Ask WHAT is thrown?
Answer:it/the ball (Direct Obj)
To (or at) WHO (or what) is it thrown?
Answer:him/Sam (Indirect Obj)
But what's all this really about?
Three simple words 'lo', 'la', and 'le'.
In their simplest forms,in order, they mean 'him or it', 'her or it' , and 'to him, to her or to it' (can also mean 'of', or 'from' him,her or it, as well as some other meanings)
In English, things are really simple, because you don't have any choice but to use 'him', 'her', or 'it' for both direct and indirect pronoun.
Give him the book (= give the book TO him). . him = Indirect Object Pronoun - 'the book' was the thing being given (Direct Obj Pronoun)
I took him to school . . him = Direct Object Pronoun - 'HE' was the person or thing taken
but both examples use 'him' as the Object Pronoun, Indirect or Direct
In Spanish
Di le el libro = to HIM (le) give the book
Lo llevo a la escuela = HIM (lo) I take to school
differentiating between HIM and TO Him
So trying to make it as strightforward as possible (and I didn't realise how difficult that would be :¬) If the verb acts DIRECTLY on the thing or person, use the Direct Obj Pronoun 'Lo' or ''La'
Examples:
I pushed it - Lo empujé
I threw it - Lo eché
I hit him - Lo golpeé
I found her - La encontré
If the verb has an INDIRECT action on the thing or person, use the Indirect Obj Pronoun 'Le' Examples:
I threw the toy to her - Le eché el jugete a ella (here 'a ella' is added, to clarify the gender of the recipient, as 'le' can be regarded as a neutral pronoun)
I read the book to him - Le leí el libro
I gave him lunch - Le dí el almuerzo
Unfortunately Spanish has one more 'gotcha', which I really need to include.
As you probably know, when you carry out an action on a person, rather than an object, Spanish insists that you include an 'a' after the verb.
Example:
Golpeé a Sam - I hit Sam.
Recogí a los niños - I collected the kids.
Now the usual translation of the word 'a' is 'to'.
This can cause confusion, when identifying your pronoun.
I said that 'le' means 'to him' so, surely, 'a Sam' means 'to Sam', so wouldn't you say 'Le golpeé'?
Unfortunately not.
The 'a' in these cases doesn't mean 'to'. It's just a way of personalising the verb, to identify that it is acting on a person, rather than an object, so the correct version is 'Lo golpeé'
I'd like to be able to give you a formula for avoiding this error, but the only method I can think of is to construct the sentence in English, realise that the word 'to' is not included in the English version, then translate it, but that rather contradicts my preference for trying to think in Spanish, so your brain isn't trying to handle two languages at once!
Otherwise you could try asking yourself what the construction would be, if you substituted an inanimate object, or an animal, for the person.
Apart from that, I just want to be sure that you're aware of the trap, and leave it to you to find a way of not falling in to it.
Well this has turned out to be a much more complicated explanation than I expected (honestly Mercede's Spanish version seems a lot simpler) but I hope it has given you a few pointers on how to sort out Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns.
¡Hasta la próxima!
Sunday, 22 July 2012
The Fiestas of Mexico - part one online
Apologies to any of you who turned up an hour early to yesterday's presentation in Opera Joven, Secondlife. I got the time wrong!
If it's any consolation, I was there an hour early, too.
If you didn't make it, you missed a very interesting presentation on the types of fiestas and celebrations which take place each year, in Mexico, by my teacher Ximena, in Spanish.
The level of Spanish wasn't too advanced. Well it can't have been too bad, because I was there translating it live, for the audience.
Anyhow, if you'd like a quick look at the presentation, I'm just, as I type, uploading the first 15 minutes to YouTube.
It will give you an idea of the level of Spanish I've managed to reach in two years under Ximena's instruction, and also allow you to listen to her speaking. She has a wonderfully clear voice, which makes her easy to understand.
It will be a good listening practice and, of course, there's the English translation.
Please excuse any mistakes or omissions, but I soon found out that listening to someone speak, and understanding is a long way from listening, understanding, retaining, translating and repeating.
Honestly, by the end I was exhausted.
Hope you enjoy it.
If it's any consolation, I was there an hour early, too.
If you didn't make it, you missed a very interesting presentation on the types of fiestas and celebrations which take place each year, in Mexico, by my teacher Ximena, in Spanish.
The level of Spanish wasn't too advanced. Well it can't have been too bad, because I was there translating it live, for the audience.
Anyhow, if you'd like a quick look at the presentation, I'm just, as I type, uploading the first 15 minutes to YouTube.
It will give you an idea of the level of Spanish I've managed to reach in two years under Ximena's instruction, and also allow you to listen to her speaking. She has a wonderfully clear voice, which makes her easy to understand.
It will be a good listening practice and, of course, there's the English translation.
Please excuse any mistakes or omissions, but I soon found out that listening to someone speak, and understanding is a long way from listening, understanding, retaining, translating and repeating.
Honestly, by the end I was exhausted.
Hope you enjoy it.
Thursday, 19 July 2012
Introducing , , , Me
Here's a date for your diaries - Saturday 21st of July, at 12 noon, Second Life Time, El Tigre makes his first public appearance as a translator.
My teacher Ximena is going to be giving a presentation, in Spanish, in virtual Jalisco( http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Opera%20Joven/78/179/35 )
and I will be translating for the non Spanish speaking members of the audience.
Sorry, you won't get to hear me speaking Spanish, but I expect it to be quite a challenge, anyway.
The show will take place in the two-storey builing adjoining the cathedral (see picture) and will feature a presentation and slideshow about the various fiestas which take place every year in Mexico, the traditions, the origins, the music and the costumes.
I've already had a run-through, and I certainly found it fascinating.
That's 12 noon SLT ,which is 8pm (20:00) British Summer Time (if we ever get a Summer, this year).
Consult the clocks on the right of this page, to see the current time in SL, which will help you to calculate what time you'll need to arrive.
If you don't have a Second Life account, clicking on the link above will take you to a page where you can set one up - It takes less than five minutes, and its FREE!
If you do have an account, follow the link and teleport in from the Map page.
I look forward to seeing you there.
Just hope I don't freeze ;¬P
My teacher Ximena is going to be giving a presentation, in Spanish, in virtual Jalisco( http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Opera%20Joven/78/179/35 )
and I will be translating for the non Spanish speaking members of the audience.
Sorry, you won't get to hear me speaking Spanish, but I expect it to be quite a challenge, anyway.
The show will take place in the two-storey builing adjoining the cathedral (see picture) and will feature a presentation and slideshow about the various fiestas which take place every year in Mexico, the traditions, the origins, the music and the costumes.
I've already had a run-through, and I certainly found it fascinating.
That's 12 noon SLT ,which is 8pm (20:00) British Summer Time (if we ever get a Summer, this year).
Consult the clocks on the right of this page, to see the current time in SL, which will help you to calculate what time you'll need to arrive.
If you don't have a Second Life account, clicking on the link above will take you to a page where you can set one up - It takes less than five minutes, and its FREE!
If you do have an account, follow the link and teleport in from the Map page.
I look forward to seeing you there.
Just hope I don't freeze ;¬P
Tuesday, 10 July 2012
Welcome to the 3D Classroom
Finally, after upgrading my PC, I'm able to run a fantastic piece of software called Fraps.
Much loved by Gamers, it allows you to record action on screen, and the accompanying sound, so they can show off their finest moments in Call of Duty.
What it means for me is that I can now record my lessons in Second Life, and I can review them as often as I like.
Admitted, an hour of full-screen recording uses 6Gb of space initially (this comes down to around 500mb after compression) but I'm really going to enjoy using it.
It allows me to show off, to non-Second Life users, exactly what they're missing.
So, with that in mind, here's a (very) brief snippet from my last lesson, which I've uploaded to YouTube, just to give you an impression of what a virtual Spanish lesson is like.
Enjoy.
Sunday, 8 July 2012
I love it when a plan comes together
During your time learning Spanish (aprendizaje - also means 'apprenticeship') you may, or may not have come across the term 'cognate'.
Put simply, a cognate is a word which sounds and means the same in both languages, like 'revolución' or 'bar'.
Whether or not you've heard the term, I'll bet you've come across the phrase 'falsos amigos'
These are words which sound the same, but mean something quite different.
Examples:
embarasada = NOT embarrased, but Pregnant! (embarrasing if you got it wrong)
introducir = NOT introduce, but Insert! (allow me to introduce myself?!?!?)
So I've rounded up a few cognates and falsos amigos, dealing with the subject of making Plans.
Planear - nice and simple - to plan. Planear hacer algo - to plan to do something.
Planificar - also to plan.
Plañir - to mourn or grieve over someone/thing
Plantar - to plant - e.g. a tree
Plantear - to bring up or raise e.g. a subject
Plantificar - to plonk something down. Drop unceremoniously.
Proponer - to suggest or propose
Proponerse algo - to put one's mind to something
Proponerse hacer algo - to intend to do something
Pensar en hacer algo - to intend to do something BUT
Intentar = to Attempt e.g to do something, NOT intend AND
Atentar = assault e.g. attempt on someone's life NOT attempt to do something
and finally 'Pretender' - NOT pretend, as in mislead, but aspire to or intend to do something.
Hopefully that will help more of your Spanish plans come together but remember
'del dicho al hecho, hay mucho trecho'
(it's easier said than done ;¬)
Put simply, a cognate is a word which sounds and means the same in both languages, like 'revolución' or 'bar'.
Whether or not you've heard the term, I'll bet you've come across the phrase 'falsos amigos'
These are words which sound the same, but mean something quite different.
Examples:
embarasada = NOT embarrased, but Pregnant! (embarrasing if you got it wrong)
introducir = NOT introduce, but Insert! (allow me to introduce myself?!?!?)
So I've rounded up a few cognates and falsos amigos, dealing with the subject of making Plans.
Planear - nice and simple - to plan. Planear hacer algo - to plan to do something.
Planificar - also to plan.
Plañir - to mourn or grieve over someone/thing
Plantar - to plant - e.g. a tree
Plantear - to bring up or raise e.g. a subject
Plantificar - to plonk something down. Drop unceremoniously.
Proponer - to suggest or propose
Proponerse algo - to put one's mind to something
Proponerse hacer algo - to intend to do something
Pensar en hacer algo - to intend to do something BUT
Intentar = to Attempt e.g to do something, NOT intend AND
Atentar = assault e.g. attempt on someone's life NOT attempt to do something
and finally 'Pretender' - NOT pretend, as in mislead, but aspire to or intend to do something.
Hopefully that will help more of your Spanish plans come together but remember
'del dicho al hecho, hay mucho trecho'
(it's easier said than done ;¬)
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