español for Gringos

What's the difference!

What's the difference between balde, ballena y balneario?

balde = a bucket or pail

ballena = a whale

balneario = a spa or health resort

Mi favorito balneario en Argentina es La Plata.

What's the difference?

What's the difference between salvar, salir y saltar?

salvar = to save, as in 'to save a life'

salir = to leave or go out;  also, to date

Jorge y Juanita están saliendo;  disfrutan de la cinema los sábados.
Jorge and Juanita are dating;  they enjoy going to the movies on Saturdays.

saltar = to jump or leap

Rebaños in the time of The Situation.

A phrase heard during this era is inmunidad de rebaño.

It means 'herd immunity'.

The word rebaño means a flock of sheep.

It can also mean a religious flock as in a congregation.

Lucky sevens.


seven       siete

seventeen    diecisiete

seventy        setenta

700               setecientos

777             setecientos setenta y siete

7,000          siete mil

Nuts!

The Spanish-language word for 'nut' is nuez, which can also mean walnut, according to wordreference.com ...  The plural, nuts, is nueces.


peanut(s)               maní   (mah-NEE)

almonds                 almendras


Raisins seem to go good with nuts, as a snack or in cereal.

The word for 'raisins' is pasas.

Golden raisins  =  pasas doradas.

What's the difference?

regar  (ray-GAR) to water, to irrigate
Aquí en el desierto riego mis plantas cada ocho días.
Here in the desert I water my plants weekly.

regir  (ray-HERE) to reign, to rule
Los en la burocracia nos rigen sin compasión.
Those in the bureaucracy rule us without compassion.

regatear  to bargain, to haggle
Mejor dejar un nativo regatear en el mercado.
It's better to let a native bargain in the market.

gatear  to crawl
Acercando su presa, el león gateó lentamente y sigilosamente.
Nearing his prey, the lion crawled slowly and stealthily.

What's the difference!

What's the difference between préstamo, prestamista y prestación?


un préstamo = a loan

un/una prestamista = a moneylender

Note that the verb prestar means 'to loan'.

prestamista can be used pejoratively;  from Shakespeare:  Shylock.

una prestación = a perk or a benefit (may be a social security benefit)

cccmedia wrote:

Note that the verb prestar means 'to loan'.

Prestar can also mean to give, to provide, to lend a hand

Prestar servicio militar en Colombia es obligatorio para todo varón mayor de 18 años.
To give military service in Colombia is obligatory for all males over 18 years old.

Hay que prestar ayuda al necesitado.
It's necessary to lend a hand to the needy.

Prestar atención means to pay attention
Presta atención en clase para aprender.
Pay attention in class to learn.

I have enjoyed reading these easily confused word lists over the last few years. It's also something that teachers rarely review with students.

Recently I wanted to say "paso a paso" (step by step) but I said "pasa a pasa" (raisin by raisin) ! !

Making improvements.

It's bad.                                        Es malo.

It is insufficient.                          Es insuficiente.

We need to make it better.      Debemos mejorarlo.

It stinks.                                       Apesta.

It's the worst.                             Es lo peor.

How can it be fixed?                 Cómo se puede repararlo?

Can it be sewn?                         Se puede coserlo?

It's better now.                          Está mejor ahora.

Throw it away.                           Bótelo.

It has to be improved or destroyed.

                                                     Se necesita mejorarlo o destruirlo.

What's the difference!

What's the difference between el coma, la coma y como?

coma (masculine) is an unconscious state;  the English word is also coma.

coma (feminine) is the punctuation mark, the comma.

como, with no accent mark, means 'as, like or how'...

Me gusta como huelen las páginas de este libro.
I like how the pages of this book smell.

Estas páginas huelen como a vainilla.
These pages smell like vanilla.

Cómo está usted?
How are you?

Famous fish.

Which of these well-known fish (on the left) can you name in español?


sea bass                           corvina or lubina

tuna                                  atún 

salmon                             salmón

swordfish                         pez espada


espada is the word for 'sword', the weapon. 

espadas can also mean the playing-cards suit 'spades'
as in queen of spades.

What's the difference!

What's the difference between eterno, interno y enfermo?

eterno  =  eternal

interno  =  internal

enfermo  =  sick, unwell

Note that the feminine forms of these adjectives are
eterna, interna y enferma.

What's the difference!

What's the difference between sendero, tendero y ganadero?


sendero  =  path

tendero  =  (male) shopkeeper

ganadero =  rancher or cattle breeder

Look and see.

What are the two most common words for 'to see' or 'to look'?


ver  to see

Hace poco que lo ví durmiendo en la sala.
I just saw him sleeping in the living room.


mirar  to look or to see

Por qué estabas mirando fijamente al extranjero?
Why were you staring (looking fixedly) at the foreigner?

Older sibling.

Translate to español...

Henry is my older brother.

Enrique es mi hermano mayor.

He is 17 years old.  I am 15.

Él tiene diecisiete años.  Yo tengo quince.

We have two younger sisters.

Tenemos dos hermanas menores.

He is captain of the football team at his high school.

Él es capitán del equipo de fútbol a su colegio.

Next year I would like to visit him at college in Santa Barbara.

En el año que viene quisiera visitarlo a su universidad
en Santa Bárbara.

What's the difference?

What's the difference between callar, calle y callejón?

callar is a verb meaning to quiet or pacify

Cállate, vaquerito, esta clase no es un rodeo.
Quiet down, little cowboy, this class is not a rodeo.

calle = street

callejón = alley or passageway

What a Gringo thinks...

The Spanish word red ....
What a Gringo thinks it means:  the first color of the rainbow.

What it really means... web or network.  It's feminine... 'la red'.

---

The word amarillo...
What a Gringo thinks it means:  second-tier city in the Lone Star State.

What it really means... yellow.

---

The word verde...
What a Gringo thinks it means:  Italian opera composer of the 19th century.

What it really means... green.

---

The word marrón...
What a Gringo thinks it means:  a cookie-type dessert.

What it really means... brown.

Super quiz.

Translate to English this iconic phrase....

"El vino a la Tierra con poderes y capacidades mucho más allá que los de Hombre Mortal .. y quien, disfrazado como C---- K---, reportero amable para un gran periódico metropolitano, lucha una batalla sin término para verdad, justicia y la manera americana."



"He came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of Mortal Man .. and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way."

There is only one 'e' in judgment.

Today's word is juicio.  WEE-see-oh


What a Gringo thinks it means... juice.

What it really means... judgment, as in 'opinion' or 'ability to judge'.

En su juicio....
In his/her opinion....

The word judgment as in a legal outcome can be translated as 'sentencia'.

The Spanish word for 'juice' is jugo.   HOO-goh

What's the difference?

What's the difference between cuchillo, cuchilla y cuchillada?


cuchillo    =    knife

cuchilla    =     blade

cuchillada =    a slash (cut) or a stab (piercing wound)

Note that you may also hear other words for knife and blade.

Hoja is used for blade, although it can also mean leaf, and sheet (of paper, metal etc.), and even résumé (Hoja de Vida or H.V. or HV, also sometimes referred to as C.V., Curriculum Vitae).
La hoja de su espada está muy afilada.
The blade of his sword is very sharp.

Navaja may be used to describe a knife, especially a folding-blade one.  It also can mean razor.
Tan pronto como el dependiente empuñó su navaja, el ladrón huyó.
As soon as the clerk wielded his penknife, the robber fled.
The wound or cut, or the stabbing, may be referred to as a navajazo.
Herido grave tras recibir un navajazo en el abdomen en Mungia (headline)
Grave wound from stabbing in abdomen in Mungia

And in Colombia (not sure about other countries), arma blanca is used to describe any bladed weapon in general (as opposed to arma de fuego).
Un policía fue asesinado con arma blanca durante cierre de bares en Suba.
A policeman was murdered with a knife during the closing of bars in Suba.

What's the difference!

What's the difference between cera, cero y cerro?


cera = wax

cero = zero

cerro = hill

The Beach Boys immortalized Cerro Azul (blue hill), Peru, in their 1962 breakout hit Surfin' Safari....

They're anglin' in Laguna in Cerro Azul
They're kickin' out in Dohini too
I tell ya' surfin's mighty wild - it's gettin' bigger every day
From Hawaii to the shores of Peru.

What's the difference!

What's the difference between baterista, beisbolista y batidor?


baterista = drummer (e.g. Ringo Starr)

beisbolista = baseball player (e.g. Frank Ringo, catcher
        for the Philadelphia Athletics, c. 1880)

batidor = hunting assistant/game beater

El batidor levantó un grupo de perdices.
The game beater flushed out a group of partridges.

Batidor can also mean a scout, or someone sent ahead for safety
or reconnaissance.

Have a drink.

A tu salúd..   To your health.

---

When describing a container holding your beverage, you almost can't go wrong calling it un vaso, which can mean a cup, a glass or a drink.

copa means cup, glass or wineglass.

taza means cup.

---

bebida = drink or beverage.
Cuál bebida es tu favorita?
What is your favorite beverage?

A common verb used for 'drink' is tomar.
Tomamos vino en el restaurante del hotel.
We drank wine in the hotel restaurant.

Liquids commonly consumed by drinking:

leche = milk

el agua  = the water (feminine word despite 'el')

jugo de naranja = orange juice

jugo de manzana = apple juice

licor = liquor  (lee-KOHR)

gaseosa = soda/pop

agua tónica = tonic water

batido de chocolate = chocolate shake

agua sin gas = water without bubbles

agua con gas = sparkling water

What's the difference!

What's the difference between pimienta, pimiento y pimentón?


pimienta =.          pepper the spice as in salt and pepper

pimiento =           bell pepper, the vegetable

pimentón =           can mean bell pepper, pepper plant,
                                                  sweet pepper or paprika

What's the difference!

What's the difference between listo, listado y listillo?


listo       =  ready;  smart, clever

listado   = (noun) list; (past participle) listed;
                             la lista also means 'the list';
                             

listillo     = smart aleck, wise guy;
                                listilla is the feminine version

Sweet and sour.

dulce means 'sweet'.

agrio means 'sour'.  The feminine form is agria.

ipso facto, a word meaning 'sweet and sour' is...
.
.
.
agridulce.

It can also mean bittersweet.

A word for bitter is amargo/amarga.

What's the difference?

What's the difference between paisa, pasante y pasajero?


un/una paisa = a person from Antioquia or Eje Cafetero, Colombia

pasante  = intern

pasajero  = passenger

---

paisa can also mean countryman, person from the same country.
Related to país (pah-EESE), which means country.

What's the difference!

What's the difference between turco, terco y truco?


turco = Turkish, as in:  of the country Turkey and/or the Turkish people;
                         can also be a noun meaning Turkish bath

terco = stubborn, pig-headed

un truco = a trick

Know your Spanish verbs.

Today's verb... criar. (kree-AHR)

Which of the following correctly translates criar into English?

a.  to cry
b.  to create
c.   to raise
d.  to break open

answer below...
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.
.
.
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.
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.
.
Criar = to raise or rear (children) or to breed (animals).
The correct answer is c.

Mi abuela crió a sus hijos con leche materna.
My grandmother raised her children with mother's milk.

Know your Spanish verbs.

Today's focus... verbs that mean 'to get' or 'to have'.

How many verbs can you think of that have this meaning?
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obtener       to obtain

recibir          to receive

conseguir    to get

coger            to take, grab or catch

aceptar         to accept

tener             to have

mantener     to maintain

disfrutar de  -- to enjoy

What's the difference?

What's the difference between cartera, carretera y correa?
.
.
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cartera = wallet or handbag

carretera = highway;  autopista is another word for highway

correa = a belt or a strap

Spill, drip, wipe it up.

to spill                                              derramar

to drip                                              gotear

to wipe (one pass with cloth)       pasar con trapo

What's the difference?

What's the difference between asear, asar y casar?

asear                    to clean / tidy up / spruce up

asar                      to roast or grill

casar                    to marry or get married.

Nos casamos hace dos años.
We got married two years ago.

Know your Spanish verbs.

What's the difference between desear, desairar y desayunar?
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desear = to desire

desairar = to slight

desayunar = to eat breakfast

Juanita se siente desairada por no estar invitada a la fiesta.
Juanita feels slighted by not being invited to the party.

A word for breakfast is 'desayuno'.

When ñ makes the difference.

Translate each word or phrase...


sonar
.
.
.
to sound (to ring a bell or otherwise produce sound)


soñar
.
.
.
to dream

In English, we say 'to dream of or about' something.
In Spanish, the word for 'with' is employed...

Sueño con Cathy casi todas las noches.
I dream of Cathy almost every night.

--------

ordenar
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.
.
to order (organize; or:  command)


ordeñar
.
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.
to milk, as in milk a cow


--------

Feliz nuevo año.
.
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Happy New Year.


Feliz nuevo ano.
.
.
.
Happy New Anus.

Commands.

The command form of common verbs -- (you) begin, (you) come here -- is useful knowledge for Spanish-language learners.

How many of the following commands do you know?  English on the left, Spanish in the middle column.  The form used below is the so-called informal.  The root verb is on the far right.

come                  vengas               venir

go                        vayas                  ir

stop                     pares                  parar

bring                   traigas                traer

grab                    agarres              agarrar

catch                  cojas                   coger

speak                 hables                hablar

eat                      comas                comer

Overheard while someone looked for a ride.

A dónde vas?
Where are you going?

Mi destino es secreto.  Busco un taxi.
My destination is secret.  I am looking for a taxi.

Puedo ayudarte.  Este vehículo (negro) está disponible.
I can help you.  This (black) vehicle is available.

Preferería un vehículo oficial .. uno del los amarillos.
I'd prefer an official vehicle .. one of the yellow ones.

Mi coche es menos caro que los amarillos.
Mi car is cheaper than the yellow ones.

(Entering a yellow taxi...)
No, gracias.  Me da igual.
No thanks.  It's all the same to me.

What's the difference!

What's the difference between fuerte, muerte y suerte?
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fuerte is an adjective meaning 'strong'.

la muerte =  noun meaning 'death'

la suerte =  noun meaning 'luck'