español for Gringos

Headlines, Sunday, February 21, 2016....

Republicanos:  Trump Vence Facilmente en Carolina del Sur

GOP:  Trump Wins Easily in South Carolina

Bush Se Falla en Carolina.... Renuncia de la Campaña

Bush Flops in Carolina.... Drops Out of the Race

Democráticas:  Hillary la Ganadora en Nevada

Dems:  Hillary Wins in Nevada

Ecuador:  Aerolínea TAME Elimina Vuelos a Tena y Latacunga.... Suspende Vuelos a Florida y Brasil

Ecuador:  Government-Owned TAME Airlines Eliminates All Flights to Tena and Latacunga, Suspends Flights to Florida (FTL) and Brazil


Ecuador headlines sourced by www.cuencahighlife.com

False friends.

rentable

What a Gringo thinks it means...  available on a six-month lease.

What it really means.... profitable, worthwhile.

groserias

What a Gringo thinks it means.... products you brought home from SuperMaxi.

What it really means.... cuss words, rudeness.

rindo

What a Gringo thinks it means.... the outer shell of a melon.

What it really means.... I surrender.

Me rindo ahorita.  I surrender right now.

False friends.

zorro

What a Gringo thinks it means:  the Hispanic Robin Hood.

What it means in Spanish... fox --- the animal.

Another term for ‘fox’ is buena tía, literally ‘hot aunt,’ meaning an attractive woman, according to wordreference.com ....

pare

What a Gringo thinks it means... to reduce in size.

What it means in Spanish.... you stop (a command).

In many Spanish-speaking countries, red stop signs do not say ‘Stop’ ... they say Pare.  Pronounced PAH-ray.

The original root-verb is parar -- to stop.

repostería

What a Gringo thinks it means... re-tweeting or re-posting on the Internet.

What it really means.... pastry shop or confectionary.

It's true that English comes primarily from Germanic and Romance languages. Therefore, Italian, French, Spanish, and to a somewhat lesser extent Portuguese, share thousands of cognates, words recognizable and in virtually parallel translation.  It is certainly worth looking up a term when one hears one that sounds similar, but the transferability can certainly not be taken for granted - ever, as cccmedia points out.

cccMedia,
This is a really cute post idea that I enjoy!

HelenPivoine

Top Juices (Jugos) Enjoyed in South America That Are Spelled Differently in the Two Languages

10.  Blackberry Juice -- Jugo de Mora

9.  Orange Juice -- Naranja

8.  Passion Fruit Juice -- Maracuyá

7.  Pineapple Juice -- Piña

6.  Cranberry Juice -- Arándano

5.  Grapefruit Juice-- Toronja

4.  Apple Juice -- Manzana

3.  Grape Juice -- Uva

2.  Strawberry Juice -- Fresa

And the #1 juice on this list....

1.  Peach Juice -- Durazno or Melocotón

Pop Quiz For Gringos Learning español.... answers down below....

1.  What Spanish word meaning “he -- or she -- was working” has four syllables  each containing the letter ‘a’ ?

2.  Translate the following:  Rosalita ya se fue.

3.  What single word means ‘small Gringo’ ?  Watch your spelling.
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1.  Trabajaba means he -- or she -- was working.  trah--bah-HAH-bah

2.  Rosalita ya se fue.  Rosalita already left.
   The irregular verb irse means ‘to leave.’  Ir means ‘to go.’
  Pronounced:  yah say fway.

3.  Note that the word gringuito has a ‘u’ in it.  Without the ‘u,’ it would be pronounced grin-HEE-toh.

cccmedia wrote:

Pop Quiz For Gringos Learning español.... answers down below....

1.  What Spanish word meaning “he -- or she -- was working” has four syllables  each containing the letter ‘a’ ?

2.  Translate the following:  Rosalita ya se fue.

3.  What single word means ‘small Gringo’ ?  Watch your spelling.
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Good stuff  , I got #1 correct. Number 2 was a little tricky (for me),

Another Pop Quiz For Gringos Learning español... answers down below....

1.  You want to get past some shoppers and their shopping carts in an aisle at SuperMaxi.  Someone tells you, Pase nomás.  What’s going on ?

2.  At the meat counter, you en-counter res, pollo y puerco.  Name these three productos in English.

3.  What is an eight-syllable Spanish word meaning ‘unfortunately’ ?  It starts with a ‘d.’
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1. Pase nomás: Another shopper is telling you to pass.  Nomás -- a single word -- means ‘just’ as in ‘just pass’ or ‘just go by.’  The two-word phrase no más -- meaning ‘no more’ -- is what the boxer said just before he lost the bout.

2.  res = beef .. pollo = chicken .. puerco = pork

3.  How to say ‘unfortunately’ in Spanish in only eight syllables:
        desafortunadamente

cccmedia wrote:

3.  How to say ‘unfortunately’ in Spanish in only eight syllables:
        desafortunadamente

You can also say it in just 7 syllables!  desgraciadamente

False friends.

las vegas

What a Gringo thinks it means... Spanish for all you can eat.

What it means in español... the meadows.

par

What a Gringo thinks it means.... a concept used to help determine the leaders in a golf match or tournament.

What it means in Spanish... pair.

A la tienda de mascotas, elegí un par de beagles pequeños.  At the pet shop, I chose a pair of small beagles.

sendero

What a Gringo thinks it means... someone who mails gifts to relatives during the holidays.

What it really means... path.

Está un sendero amplio para caminar por detrás del hotel.  There’s a wide path to take a walk behind the hotel.

False friends.

cremallera

What a Gringo thinks it is... a breakfast vessel used to pour dairy cream.

What it really is... a zipper.

colina

What a Gringo thinks it is... an Irish lass.

What it actually means in Spanish... a hill.

estallar

What a Gringo thinks it means... a star.

What it really means... to explode (emotionally).

The word estrella means ‘a star.’

Explotar means to explode or blow up (a bomb, for instance.)

False friends.

caducidad

What a Gringo thinks it means.... Señorita Caduci’s father.

What it really means.... expiration.  The verbs caducar and expirar mean ‘to expire.’

Mi licencia de conducir alcanzará su fecha de caducidad en tres días.  My drivers license will reach its date of expiration in three days.

melocotón

What a Gringo thinks it means.... a new fabric blend.

What it really is.... a peach.  Another word for peach is durazno.

The Spanish-language word for ‘cotton’ is algodón.

dedo  DEH-doh

What a Gringo thinks it means.... deceased.

What it really means.... a finger.

What’s the difference?  Answers below....

This installment of ‘What’s the Difference’ is dedicated to Bhavna and Priscilla at the Home Office in the Mascarene Islands.  Thank you for your support.

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What’s the difference between a bono, a cono, a mono and a moño ?

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bono = bonus

cono = cone

mono = monkey

moño = pastry bun or hair bun

I really like this forum!  It helps me as a "beginning beginer" in Spanish.  English is my first language and French is my second.  Now Spanish will be my third and I want to be very fluent in speaking, reading, and writing the language.

Thank you!

Whats the difference?

What’s the difference between grasa, tasa, casa and calabasa ?  Answers below....
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grasa = fat or grease

tasa = rate (not to be confused with a taza, which is a cup or mug.)

casa = house, or sometimes ‘home’....   Intentaré a cocinar este plato de pez en casa.  I’ll try to cook this fish dish at home.

calabasa = pumpkin

False friends.

pretender (verb)

What a Gringo thinks it means.... to pretend.

What it really means... to hope, expect or claim.

The word fingir is a verb meaning ‘to pretend.’
Él nunca fingiría que él sea Colombiano.  He’d never pretend that he is Colombian.

mantequilla

What a Gringo thinks it means.... Mexican general whose antics caused the Mexican-American war over a century ago.

What it really means.... butter.

hambre

What a Gringo thinks it means... man.

What it really means... hunger.

The word hombre means man.  Hombro means shoulder.

Tengo hambre.  I’m hungry.    (Literally:  I have hunger.)

What’s the difference ?

What’s the difference between a puro, a porro, a perro and a porrista ?
Answers below....
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puro = cigar

porro = joint (i.e., marijuana)

perro = dog

porrista = cheerleader (whether male or female)

False friends.

predial

What a Gringo thinks it means... to enter a cell phone number onto the screen before pressing the send-key.

What it means in Spanish... property.

Your 7-digit predial or predio number in Quito, Ecuador, gives you access to paying your property tax.

mintió

What a Gringo thinks it means... fresh and minty-tasting.

What it really means... he or she lied.  From the verb mentir, to lie or tell a falsehood.

azafata

What a Gringo thinks it means... name of a Saudi king’s mistress.

What it means in Spanish... flight attendant.  The old term aeromoza is not used these days.

What’s the difference?

What’s the difference between castor, pastor, gastar & sastrería? .

Answers below....

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castor = beaver

pastor = shepherd or pastor (priest)

gastar = to spend

sastrería = tailor shop or tailoring

Top five words in Spanish for ‘usual’ and how to pronounce some of them....

5.  usual    oo-soo-AHL

4.  regular    regg-oo-LAHR

3.  ordinario/a

2.  normal    nor-MAHL

1.  habitual    ah-beet-oo-AHL

What’s the difference?

What’s the difference between puro (the noun), muro, duro and burro ?

Answers below....
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puro = cigar

muro = wall -- another word for ‘wall’ is pared (feminine noun)

duro = hard or stiff

burro = donkey

False friends

sensible (senn-SEE-blay)

What a Gringo thinks it means... having common sense.

What the word means in Spanish... sensitive.

Sensato is a Spanish word for the English “sensible.”


éxito

What a Gringo thinks it means... the way out.

What it really means... success.

Exitoso means “successful.”

The common word for “exit” is salida.

grosero

What a Gringo thinks it means... fruit and veggies seller.

What it really means... rude or crude.

A word for “grocer” is tendero.  A fruit seller is frutero (male) or frutera (female).

What’s the difference ?

What’s the difference between huevo, hueso, hueco and vuelo ?
Answers below....
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Huevo = egg

Hueso = bone

Hueco = gap or opening

Vuelo = flight
El vuelo despegará a las 8:00 de la mañana.  The flight will take off at 8 a.m.

false friends.

deporte

What a Gringo thinks it means.... Trump’s plan for sending Mexicans back to Mexico.

What it really means.... sport.

Me gusta cualquier deporte que usa una pelota.  I like any sport that uses a ball.

musulmán

What a Gringo thinks it means.... a shirtless Arnold Schwarzenegger.

What it really means.... Muslim, follower of Islamic religion.

salado

What a Gringo thinks it means... salad.

What it really means... salted (adjective).

The Spanish word for “salad” is ensalada.

Top Ten Phrases When Ordering Take-Out Food....

10..  I would like food to-go.

Quisiera comidas para llevar.
The verb llevar means “to carry."

9.  Three pieces of chicken-only (meaning no combo sides), please.

Tres presas de pollo vacío (POH-yo vah-SEE-oh), por favor.

8.  A breast, two thighs, no wings.

Una pechuga, dos muslos (MOOS-lohs), no alas.

7.  For the salad -- sauce separately, please.

Para la ensalada -- salsa aparte, por favor.

6.  Do you offer Cole slaw ?

¿Se ofrece ensalada de col ?

5.  Please include extra napkins and salt packets.

Favor de incluir extra servilletas y paquetes de sal.

4.  More ketchup and mustard packets, please.

Más paquetes de salsa de tomate y mostaza, por favor.

3.  Is this soy sauce ?

¿Es esto salsa de soya ?

2.  How much is it ?  I’ll pay you now so I can visit the supermarket in the meantime.

¿Cuánto se cobra ?  Les pagaré ahora mismo, para visitar el supermercado mientras tanto.

Cobra is from the verb cobrar, which is often used in this context as “charge,” or ‘how much do you charge’?  The verb cancelar, which can mean “to cancel,” in this context (a restaurant) often is employed meaning “to pay the bill."

And the #1 phrase when ordering take-out food....

1. Thinking ahead to next time, tell me if you can do home-delivery.

Pensando en la próxima vez, digame si se pueden entregar comidas a domicilio.

False friends.

mama  (MAH-mah)

What a Gringo thinks it means.... Mom.

What it really means in Spanish... breast.

The word mamá -- mah-MAH -- means Mom or mother.

Another word for breast is teta (TAY-tah).

desgastar

What a Gringo thinks it means... to disgust.

What it really means... to erode or wear away.

The phrase darse asco means “to be disgusted.”
Esa palabra me da asco.  That word disgusts me.

The verbs ofender and repugnar also mean “to disgust.”

doler

What a Gringo thinks it means... the basic unit of the currency used in the USA and Ecuador.

What it really means... to hurt or to produce pain.

Esta clase de masaje usualmente no duele.  This type of massage usually does not hurt.

Dolor is a noun meaning “pain.”

The Spanish word for “dollar” is dólar with emphasis on the first syllable.  The plural form is dólares.

False friends.

chivas

What a Gringo thinks it means... a premium brand of Scottish whiskey.

What it means in Spanish... party buses.  CHEE-bahss
Also can mean:  “female goats."

seas

What a Gringo thinks it means... large bodies of water.

What it means in Spanish... be (informal, imperative).

Seas amigable.  Be friendly.  SAY-Ahss
From the verb ser which means “to be."

un golpe

What a Gringo thinks it means... a large swallow of liquid.

What it really means... a hit. (Involving one object or person striking another.)
Can also mean “a robbery."

In the Spanish language, the same word -- tiempo -- can mean either “time” or “weather” ....

How can that be ?  Seems confusing at first.

To keep from making folks crazy, Spanish speakers use another word -- hora for “hour” -- when discussing the time of day. 

¿Qué hora es ?  What time is it ?  (literally:  what hour is ?)

Son las tres.  It’s three o’clock.  (literally:  they are the three.)

Es la una y media.  It’s one-thirty.  (literally:  is the one and half.)

Son las cinco quince.  It’s five-fifteen.  (literally:  they are the five fifteen.)

As for tiempo in reference to time...

Ya es tiempo.  It’s about time.  (literally:  now is time.)

No tenemos bastante tiempo para ordenar postre.  We don’t have enough time to order dessert.

Which brings us to the use of tiempo in its other meaning -- weather.

Hoy hace buen tiempo.  Today’s there’s good weather.  (Note the use of hace in weather-related discussion, literally meaning “it makes.”)

Hace calor.  It’s hot.  Hace frío.  It’s cold.

You can avoid miscommunication in discussing the weather by using another common word for “weather" -- clima -- instead of tiempo.  Clima is a masculine word ending in ‘a’.

El clima means "the weather", except when used for its other meaning:  “the climate.”

Seriously.

False friends.

ropa

What a Gringo thinks it means... rope.

What it really means... clothing.

Cuerda is a word that means “rope."

sopa

What a Gringo thinks it means... soap.

What it really means... soup.

The common word for “soap” is jabón.  hah-BOHN

nudo

What a Gringo thinks it means... nude.

What it really means... knot.

Desnudo means “nude.”

False friends.

carpeta

What a Gringo thinks it means... a carpet.

What it really means... file folder or table covering.

A common word for “carpet" is alfombra.

sándalo

What a Gringo thinks it means... sandal, or open-toe shoe.

What it really means... Sandalwood.

A wond for “sandal” (the shoe) is sandalla -- sahn-DYE-ah.

parada

What a Gringo thinks it means... parade.

What it really means... a stop, or a bus stop.

A common word for “parade” or “procession” is desfile -- dess-FEE-lay.

False friends.

pariente

What a Gringo thinks it means... parent.

What it really means... a relative.

The word for “father” is padre.  The word for “parents" is padres.  Another meaning of padres is “fathers” -- depends on the context.  The word for “mothers” is madres.

suceso

What a Gringo thinks it means... success.

What it really means... event or happening.

A common word for “success” is éxito  -- EX-ee-toh.

sano

What a Gringo thinks it means... sane.

What it really means... healthy.

A common word for “sane” is cuerdo -- feminine form:  cuerda.

Another word for “healthy” is saludable.

False friends.

pez

What a Gringo thinks it means... a small candy from a fancy dispenser.

What it means in Spanish... a fish.  The plural is peces.

pago

What a Gringo thinks it means... page.

What it really means... payment (noun)
    or I pay (verb).

sapo

What a Gringo thinks it means... slow-moving liquid on a maple tree.

What it really means....a toad.

False friends.

largar

What a Gringo thinks it means... bigger than.

What it really means in its most common conversational usage:  to leave.

Example:  Lárguete.  Get outta here.

van 

What a Gringo thinks it means... a road vehicle larger than a car.

What it means in Spanish... a verb meaning they go.

Example:  (Ellos) van a la iglesia los domingos.  They go to church on Sundays.

Also used to discuss future action....
Van a cenar a un restaurante francés.  They will have dinner at a French restaurant.
Literally... They're going to have dinner at a French restaurant.

salvaje

What a Gringo thinks it means... to salvage.

What it really means... wild, savage or violent.

Rescatar is a verb meaning “to salvage.”  It also means “to rescue."

False friends.

dice

What a Gringo thinks it means... small cubes used in a popular casino game.

What it means in Spanish... (he or she) says.  Pronounced DEE-say.

Ella dice que ya es hora de irse.  She says it’s now time to leave.

comer

What a Gringo thinks it means... a guy on the way up.

What it means in Spanish... to eat.  koh-MAIR

zarpar

What a Gringo thinks it means... the least well-known of the Marx Brothers.

What it really means... to set sail.

Ese buque ya ha zarpado.  That ship has sailed.

False friends.

pone -- pronounced POH-nay

What a Gringo thinks it means... a small horse.

What it really means.... (a verb) puts.

Ordinariamente, él pone sus libros en esa mesa.  Usually, he puts his books on that table.

hasta

What a Gringo thinks it means... extreme hurry.

What it really means... until or up to (an amount).

Este casino estará abierto hasta las tres de la madrugada.  This casino will be open until 3 a.m.

Hasta cinco caballeros llegarán para escoltar a nosotras damas.  Up to five gentlemen will arrive to escort us ladies.

Spanish words meaning “a hurry” are prisa and urgencia.

Pronunciation for hasta:  AHSS-tah

noches

What a Gringo thinks this word means.... marks on a bedpost indicating sexual conquests.

What it really means... nights. 

Me quedé seis noches en el Eje Cafetero de Colombia.  I spent six nights in Colombia’s Coffee Axis.

Noche is a feminine word.  La noche (singular).  Las noches (plural). 
NOH-chay

False friends.

bombero

What a Gringo thinks it means... fighter plane.

What it really means... fireman.

A word for “bomber” -- the fighter plane -- is bombardero.

codo

What a Gringo thinks it means... code.

What it really means... elbow.

Código is a word meaning “code.”

delito

What a Gringo thinks it means... a delight.

What it really means... crime or felony.

Words for the noun “delight” are delicia and placer.

False friends.

sabor

What a Gringo thinks it means... Zorro’s weapon of choice.

What it really means... flavor.

mostrador

What a Gringo thinks it means... mustard dispenser.

What it really means... counter or counter-top.

The common Spanish word for “mustard” is mostaza.

calefacción

What a Gringo thinks it means... group of people who prefer eating leafy vegetables, including kale.

What it really means... heating.

La calefacción en nuestro departamento es bastante mala.  The heating in our apartment is really bad.  kah-leh-fahk-SYOHN

What’s the difference?

What’s the difference between boca, beca and buque....
Answers below....
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boca means mouth.

beca is a scholarship.

buque is a sailing ship.  Pronounced BOO-kay.