español for Gringos

suefrankdahl wrote:

Languages derived from Latin all sort of the same. the so called Romance Languages. There are even a lot of similarities with verbs and nouns.

The Word of the Day:   Proveer (pro-bay-AIR)

Award yourself five points if you know it outright.

If not, you get three points if you can choose it correctly from this list:

Proveer:

1. To prove

2.  To provide

3.  To profit (from)

4.  To avoid deliberately

(answer below)







Proveer means to provide.

cccmedia wrote:

suefrankdahl wrote:

Languages derived from Latin all sort of the same. the so called Romance Languages. There are even a lot of similarities with verbs and nouns.

.

I wonder if the Oracle from Oregon has given up on Ecuador as a retirement destination.

Nards Barley wrote:

I wonder if the Oracle from Oregon has given up on Ecuador as a retirement destination.

We're feeling like the daily espanol feature could have legs, since it's clear that Cuenca is paying attention.

So, in order to "make hay while the sun shines," we're expanding outward from a single word, and also dedicating today's Phrase of the Day to our "hermanos" in Cuenca.

                  Today's espanol Phrase of the Day: 
                    Me da igual (may dah ee-GWAHL)

Award yourself six points if you know the English meaning of the above phrase right off the bat.

If not, give yourself four points if you make the correct selection from today's list of four choices:

Me da igual:
1.  I want half
2.  I don't care
3.  Deal me in
4.  Halfway home

(answer below)








Me da igual:  means I don't care.

Example....

The juice gal at the mall asks you: 
"Prefiere jugo de mango o de maracuya...."
(Do you prefer mango juice or passion fruit....)

You respond:  "Me da igual."
(It's all the same to me.)



                                                                           .

Keltic Tom wrote:

You must hold down the Alt key and enter a numeric on your number pad....
Alt + 164 = ñ, Alt + 130 = é. You will find all needed Español symbols plus many other useful symbols listed in ASCII. ASCII is below your OS in DOS.

We've been looking under that OS but all we found were four centavos and the usual dust.

That unfortunate result, however, will not distract us from the business at hand, namely....

                Today's espanol Phrase of the Day:
                       
                         "Presteme el boligrafo."
                  (PRESS-teh-meh el boh-LIGG-rah-foh)

If you know the translation into English right away, award yourself six points.  If you don't know it, you get four points by choosing the correct translation from among these four choices:

Presteme el boligrafo:

1. Lend me the pen.
2. Press my bowling pants.
3. Send me the "bolo" (old-time sling weapon).
4. Mark my map.

(answer below)









Presteme el boligrafo:  lend me the pen.

Boligrafo is a ballpoint pen.

cccmedia wrote:

Presteme el boligrafo:  lend me the pen.

Boligrafo is a ballpoint pen.

More commonly used term for ballpoint pen in Ecuador it seems is esfero.

Nards Barley wrote:

More commonly used term for ballpoint pen in Ecuador it seems is esfero.

Correcto.

Also, "boli" is a way to say ballpoint pen.

And that concludes our discussion of yesterday's Phrase of the Day.

You can probably guess what's coming next:

                    Today's espanol Phrase of the Day:

                         Enseneme su idioma.
                         (En-SENN-yeh-may su id-ee-OH-mah)

Ding! Ding! Ding!   "Bono! Bono! Bono!"

Yes, it's double bonus Friday...a chance to make up for any ground you lost playing Phrase of the Day during the past week....

Give yourself 18 points if you knew the English meaning of today's phrase right off the bat.

If you didn't, you can still score 12 points by choosing correctly from among the four choices below:

Enseneme su idioma:

1. Make up a sentence for me.
2. Teach me your language.
3. Idiotic idea.
4. Teach me his learned style of speech.

(answer below)








Enseneme su idioma:  Teach me your language.

MByerly wrote:

My old brain can handle only so much and so far, I can carry on a quick conversation about, say, mascara, but please, don't confuse the already confused.

Mascara, or a similar word, figures into today's "rompecabeza"...or, as we've been calling it....

                     Today's espanol Phrase of the Day:

                        "Marisqueria de la temporada"
            (mah-RISS-keh-REE-uh day lah tem-paw-RAH-dah)

Give yourself 15 points if you translated today's phrase right off the bat.

If you didn't, get 10 points by choosing the correct English translation from among this list of four choices....

Marisqueria de la temporada:

1. Temporary facial mask
2. Chewing gum
3. Quickly eaten shellfish
4. Seafood restaurant of the season

(answer below)








#4 is correct.

Also: "goma de mascar" is a phrase that means chewing-gum.
"Mascara" (MAHS-kah-rah) means mask, or eye makeup, which is what MB may have been posting about.
"Mariscos" (mah-RISS-kohs) means seafood.
A "rompecabeza" is a puzzle or brain-teaser, literally break-head.


                                                            .

suefrankdahl wrote:

Please enlighten us professor.

Let's see if we can graduate from a phrase to a full sentence.

We will continue to call this party-game....

                Today's espanol Phrase of the Day:

El grandullon prefiere a llevar vaqueros.
(El grahn-doo-YOHN pray-FYEAR-ay ah yeh-VAR vah-KEAR-ohs.)

Award yourself 30 points if you were able to translate the sentence into English right off the bat.  If you couldn't do that, get 20 points by choosing the correct translation from among this list of four choices....

El grandullon prefiere a llevar vaqueros.
1. The big kid likes to wear jeans.
2. The pastor wants to lead his flock.
3. The well-dressed man is a country boy at heart.
4. The grandfather prefers to play catch with the ranch-hands.
(answer below)









#1 is correct.  "Vaqueros" is espanol for 'cowboys.'  It also can mean 'jeans.' 
"Llevar" means 'to carry,' and also means 'to wear' (clothing).
"Grandullon" is sometimes spelled "grandulon" with the final syllable pronounced as "LONE."



                                                                  .

Cccmedia, could you please think about attending, it would be great to meet you in full pro prior persona:)     Wednesday
    at 1:00pm - 6:00pm
    2 days from now
       
    http://www.restaurantevicentes.com/

We look forward to seeing you all at Middle of the World- San Antonio de Pichincha once again for our 2nd. annual Meet & Greet @ 13:00 WED 04 MAR 2015 at Vicente's Restaurant:

Since 1983, el sabor del Ecuador.VICENTE´S: Comida Tipica Ecuatoriana en La Mitad del Mundo: http://www.restaurantevicentes.com/
All are welkome that can make it. I will also post in the various expat social media sites.

Located: RESTAURANTE VICENTE´S: Comida Tipica Ecuatoriana en La Mitad del Mundo Av. Equinoccial #954, San Antonio de Pichincha, Quito - Ecuador - Reservaciones: 02-398-8554

Just 4 blocks down the hill East of the Middle of the World Park Monument and the new UNASUR - The Union of South American Nations- $42million Cantilever building.

San Antonio has changed dramatically for the better over the past year, Come See us?

All the Best,
Journeyman Jack
Y
Andrea

JourneymanJack.com@gmail.com
see Ecuador: http://JourneymanJack.com/

toll free from U.S. & Canada:
770-828-7913,
Ecuador Off: 02-349-0348,
Claro: 098-806-6508,
Movistar: 098-743-3009,
"skype" user name: "Jack.Abercrombie"

journeymanjack wrote:

Cccmedia, could you please think about attending, it would be great to meet you in full pro prior persona:)     Wednesday
    at 1:00pm - 6:00pm
    2 days from now
       
    http://www.restaurantevicentes.com/

We look forward to seeing you all at Middle of the World- San Antonio de Pichincha once again for our 2nd. annual Meet & Greet @ 13:00 WED 04 MAR 2015 at Vicente's Restaurant:

Since 1983, el sabor del Ecuador.VICENTE´S: Comida Tipica Ecuatoriana en La Mitad del Mundo: http://www.restaurantevicentes.com/
All are welkome that can make it. I will also post in the various expat social media sites.

Located: RESTAURANTE VICENTE´S: Comida Tipica Ecuatoriana en La Mitad del Mundo Av. Equinoccial #954, San Antonio de Pichincha, Quito - Ecuador - Reservaciones: 02-398-8554

Just 4 blocks down the hill East of the Middle of the World Park Monument and the new UNASUR - The Union of South American Nations- $42million Cantilever building.

San Antonio has changed dramatically for the better over the past year, Come See us?

All the Best,
Journeyman Jack
Y
Andrea

JourneymanJack.com@gmail.com
see Ecuador: http://JourneymanJack.com/

toll free from U.S. & Canada:
770-828-7913,
Ecuador Off: 02-349-0348,
Claro: 098-806-6508,
Movistar: 098-743-3009,
"skype" user name: "Jack.Abercrombie"

Well, with all this attention, how could I resist!

I've got my crack research team working on the travel logistics.

Just do everyone a favor and move any further comments about this shindig away from "espanol for Gringos" and onto "The unofficial web site of the Quito Expat community."

We don't want the Home Office to think we're

cccmedia

I didn't mean to post that previous comment in its entirety, but I had technical difficulties in a coffee shop where I was earlier.

What I intended to say  was that as an inducement to attend that event, JourneymanJack should ask CCMEDIA to sing Supsicious Minds.

Cue announcer.

Voice-over:  "Don't go away.  It's time to play....

              Today's espanol Phrase of the day...."

Today's sentence:  "El calefon esta quebrado."
                 (el cah-lay-FONE es-TAH kay-BRAH-doh)

Award yourself 20 points if you correctly translated the sentence into English.

If you didn't get it right away, you still qualify for 15 points by choosing the correct translation from among the following four choices....

El calefon esta quebrado:
1. The calendar is incorrect.
2. The cellphone is right here.
3.  The water-heater is broken.
4.  The chief operating officer went broke.
(answer below)










#3 is correct.  The verb "quebrar" means to break. 
"Quebrarse" also can mean "to go broke" or "to go bankrupt":  "El oficial se quebro (kay-BROH)."  The officer went broke.

cccmedia wrote:

Keltic Tom wrote:

To properly spell Espanol and other words in Español you must know a few ASCII tricks...You must hold down the Alt key and enter a numeric on your number pad.
Alt + 164 = ñ, Alt + 130 = é....

I'm hoping it's not true that you "must" do it this way, as this is the type of Heavy Lifting we were trying to avoid:  having to pause every third word of espanol to figure out a code and type in Alt plus multiple numbers.

Although I didn't follow Keltic Tom's instructions, I have now achieved the goal of making español markings.

What's my secret?  I had a computer geek replace my keyboard.

For the full story, visit "the unofficial web site of the Quito Expat community,"  Report #15.  The link is:
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 34#2460455

Check that out now, or continue on to Phrase of the Day -- today with a new twist....

Nards Barley wrote:

I didn't mean to post that previous comment in its entirety, but I had technical difficulties in a coffee shop where I was earlier.

No problema.  We all know about technical difficulties.

So now it's on to a new and (hopefully) improved version of...

             Today's español Phrase of the Day

Actually, make that "Phrases" (plural) of the Day.

Here's the challenge.  We'll give you three sentences, each of which is a Spanish-language version of a well-known saying in English or a North American television slogan.

Give yourself 25 points for each phrase you can identify and translate, without looking first at the original English-language sayings below.

1.  "Un pájaro en la mano se vale dos en el arbusto."

2.  "Una manzana al día se aleja al médico."

3.  "Él lucha en una batalla sin fin -- para verdad, justicia y la manera americana."

(translations below)








1. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.


2. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.


3. He fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way.

suefrankdahl wrote:

At the same time I am trying to teach conversational English to a guy in Mauritania who wants to discuss American politics. Now THAT'S a challenge!

Sue was quite the multi-tasker back in the day.

For now, though, we need to stay on-topic.

And by on-topic I mean...

           Today's español Phrases of the Day

Translate the first two sentences into English for 25 points each, without looking at the translations below.  Today's topic is vintage songs. 

1.  "Dame un hogar donde se vagan los búfalos y los ciervos y los antílopes juegan."

2.  "Póngase una cadena alredador de mi cuello y dirígeme a cualquier sitio;   quiero ser tu osito de peluche."

And today we also have a Daily Double ... see if you can get this translation right for 50 points....

3.  En el año veinticinco-veinticinco, si Hombre todavía está vivo y Mujer puede sobrevivir, encontrarían....

(translations below)







1. Give me a home where the buffalo roam and the deer and the antelope play.

2.  Put a chain around my neck and lead me anywhere;  I want to be your teddy bear.

3.  In the year 2525, if man is still alive and woman can survive, they may find....


                                                                   .

I was going to start a new thread for this, but it fits here, mas o menos. I came across this item in the Washington Post, about a group of people in Quito who go around at night correcting bad grammar and misspellings in graffiti. The link is to my blog post about it.
http://adventuresbob.blogspot.com/2015/ … quito.html

BobH wrote:

I was going to start a new thread for this, but it fits here, mas o menos. I came across this item in the Washington Post, about a group of people in Quito who go around at night correcting bad grammar and misspellings in graffiti. The link is to my blog post about it.
http://adventuresbob.blogspot.com/2015/ … quito.html

Only in Ecuador!

Who knew that the modern-era Woodsteins of the Post would be following such activities

Overheard at the farmacia....

¿En que le ayude?
How can I help you?

Quisiera tres paquetes de medicina --  hidroxizina, potencia veinticinco miligramos.
I'd like three packages of meds -- hydroxyzina, 25 milligrams strength.

Solo se quedan dos cajitas.
There's only two small boxes left.

En ese caso, me quedo con las dos.
In that case, I'll go with the two.

¿Algo más?
Anything else?

Nada más, nada menos.
No more, no less.

Seis dólares, cincuenta, por favor....Gracias.
$6.50 please....Thank you.

Gracias.  Adiós.

Anomalies of the Spanish language....

An adverb with six syllables, and every syllable contains the letter 'e':

    excelentemente, excellently

The word maestro has many meanings...

    Teacher, master (as of a trade), bullfighter, main contractor.
Pronounced MY-stroh.  Feminine: maestra.

Speakers of español use the same word for "handcuffs" as for "wives":

    esposas

                                                                             .

cccmedia wrote:

Speakers of español use the same word for "handcuffs" as for "wives":

    esposas

Very amusing bit of tivia about the language and how culture effects it. Not surprising since some of us "gringos" sometimes may refer to our wives as "the ball and chain" 

There are lots of such similarities in Portuguese as well. For instance the word "Piranha"

It's not only the Piranna (fish), but it is also the word used here in Brazil for a clip worn in the hair and also a vulgar term for a prostitute.

Signs seen around town in Quito:

     Where a big new building is about to go up...

Excavación Profunda...Area Peligrosa

Deep Dig...Dangerous Area


     Near a garbage container at the outdoor dining-court of the big mall Centro Comercial QuiCentro....

Gracias Para Ayudarnos a Separar Los Desechos y Cuidar a Nuestro Planeta

Thank You for Assisting Us In Separating the Trash and Caring for Our Planet


     On a private garage along a residential street in north Quito...

No Estacionarse...Aqui Desinflamos Llantas Gratis

No Parking...Here We Deflate Tires For Free


Some original signs were in all-capital letters.  Shown here in initial caps to conform to Internet protocol against all-caps "shouting."

I always like to see some of the signs in little tiendas and shops - my favorite is

El que fia, salio a cobrar

The one who gives credit, has gone out to collect - in other words, "Cash on the barrelhead only" 

In that vein, Brother Archer, if a certain sign seen in the States were translated for Ecuador, it would read:

En Dios, confíamos.
Los demás pagan efectivo.

In God we trust.
All others pay cash.

Gringos know it by a short word:  the mall.

Spanish-speakers call it by longer ones:  el centro comercial.

Signs put up by management at centro comercial El Recreo...

Outside the mall:

   El Recreo. Te Da Más Por Menos.  Gives You More For Less.

Inside the mall:

   El Recreo.  Más Variedad.  Más Comodidad.  Más Seguridad.

      More Variety.  More Convenience.  More Security.



Time and temperature brought to you by Zona Horaria,
the Quito watch shop.
Quito forecast...68 degrees F.
All times Greenwich Mean, unless otherwise indicado.

Hmmm.... I always thought "limpia" was the word used in Spanish for "broke"..... Me estoy limpia ahora - I'm broke right now.

Yes "limpiar" can be colloquially used as you say, the same as in English:

Los ladrones limpiaron la tienda, no queda nada.

The robbers cleaned out the store, there's nothing left.

pammyfour wrote:

Hmmm.... I always thought "limpia" was the word used in Spanish for "broke"..... Me estoy limpia ahora - I'm broke right now.

Good for you, Pammy, as a former high-school Spanish teacher who realizes she's a bit rusty...for getting back on the horse.

The most common meaning of limpiar is "to clean" as in cleaning a room or a house.

Brother Archer is 100 percent correct in his post about being "cleaned out."

Another word is used colloquially for "being broke"...

The verb quebrar means "to break" something.  It is also used colloquially:
Me estoy quebrado.  I'm broke (financially).

Bancarrota, meaning bankruptcy, is a related term.

Me declaré en bancarrota.  I declared bankruptcy.
Me declaro en bancarrota.  I declare bankruptcy.

Slightly more advanced, bordering on 'heavy lifting':

Se fue mi dinero.   My money is gone.

Simpler:

No tengo ni un dólar.  I dont even have a dollar.

Also:

Los ladrones quitaron mi último dólar.
The robbers took my last dollar.

cccmedia wrote:

Se fue mi dinero.   My money is gone.

The story of my life, in one sentence.  Well, also I'd have to say

Se fue la juventud.   

Oooo!  Ooo! (raising hand to get the teacher's attention)

You can sound more "authentic" when you can throw these two in, instead of just an unadorned "sí" or "no", for added emphasis (I always try to learn at least two or three ways to say the same thing):

"Por completo."  - thoroughly, completely yes

"En absoluto." - no, not at all

...but don't confuse the always negative "en absoluto" with "absolutamente":

Do you like this new flavor?  - No, no way! or Yes, absolutely!
¿Te gusta este sabor nuevo?  -  ¡En absoluto! (NO) but  ¡Absolutamente! (YES)

OsageArcher wrote:

Oooo!  Ooo! (raising hand to get the teacher's attention) ...don't confuse the always negative "en absoluto" with "absolutamente":

Do you like this new flavor?  - No, no way! or Yes, absolutely!
¿Te gusta este sabor nuevo?  -  ¡En absoluto! (NO) but  ¡Absolutamente! (YES)

Señorito Archer,

Please review the use of en absoluto on the Wordreference.com forums, and report back to the class.

El Profesor

As a matter of fact I did look at en absoluto on wordreference .com although my knowledge of it and its usage predates any references there and even the existence of the internet by several decades...but it's true, Me falta mucho para dominar el idioma so...

These links looking at the forum discussions on wordreference.com will help explain.  Note that even the native speakers responding in some posts can be confused and confusing.  I will say that in my experience en absoluto by itself always is negative and is always understood as an emphatic NO.

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=596330http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=649796http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1500410  (this one adds confusion!)

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1370888

If you use it by itself when you mean to say "not at all" you will always be understood as saying NO.  It may be possible to use it to mean a "yes" but you have to twist it all up...

Here's how I understand the use of en absoluto in responding to a question:

   It depends on how the question is asked.

If you're asked 'you don't believe the mayor on this, do you?' ... answering en absoluto means 'I absolutely don't believe the mayor.'

If you're asked 'do you believe the mayor on this?' ... answering en absoluto means 'I absolutely believe the mayor.'

cccmedia wrote:

Here's how I understand the use of en absoluto in responding to a question:

   It depends on how the question is asked.

If you're asked 'you don't believe the mayor on this, do you?' ... answering en absoluto means 'I absolutely don't believe the mayor.'

If you're asked 'do you believe the mayor on this?' ... answering en absoluto means 'I absolutely believe the mayor.'

Fair enough.  Although I personally do not believe Hizzoner no matter what he may say, the alcalde and the Alcaldía are all a bunch of crooks...

P.S.  I have just now consulted with my colombiana wife who is always right (just ask her) and who is ever ready to correct me...she sides more with cccmedia, saying that depending on how the question is phrased it can mean either affirmation or negation.  I am reminded of Humpty Dumpty and Alice:

"When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less."
"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master— that's all."

pammyfour wrote:

Hmmm.... I always thought "limpia" was the word used in Spanish for "broke"..... Me estoy limpia ahora - I'm broke right now.

The adjective limpio, meaning "clean" or (coloquially) "broke," is correctly used above by Pammy in its feminine form:  limpia.

If Pammy's male friend were speaking (and he was clean or broke),
he might say:
   Me estoy limpio. (pronounced LEEM-pyoh).

A larger point is that in Spanish, nouns and the adjectives that describe the nouns must agree. 

Sometimes the noun or subject is 'understood' but unspoken.  For instance in Pammy's sentence, the subject is Yo, meaning "I."
   (Yo) me estoy limpia.

In a given sentence, Yo could be masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the speaker.

Whether the speaker, in the above case Pammy, is "broke" or "clean" would have to be understood contextually. A six-year-old holding his hands up to his parents just before dinner and saying Me estoy limpio... is obviously saying he has cleaned up for the meal.

Examples of noun and adjective agreement (the noun usually comes first):

        aves grandes                     big birds

        una finca gigantesca          a gigantic farm
             
        el loro rojo                           the red parrot

        seis monos listos                 six smart monkeys

        las vaqueritas amistosas    the friendly cowgirls

        un buen día                        a good day

Día is a masculine word...and in this case  the adjective precedes the noun.

As this post is ending, here is a rare and optional digression into 'heavy lifting':
That last phrase of español could also be said un día bueno and it means the same thing.  The o is added in this special case when it follows the noun.  An Internet poster changed his moniker from El Bueno Gringo to El Gringo Bueno after he learned that the original name was not correct (extra 'o').  He could have changed it to El Buen Gringo instead.

Signs seen at a Quito chifa, Chinese restaurant Mei Lai Wha, between QuiCentro Shopping Mall and the nearby MegaMaxi....

    Outdoor signage at the entrance:

No Se Acepta Tarjetas de Crédito Ni De Débito.

We Do Not Accept Credit or Debit Cards.

Prohibido Ingresar Bebidas.

Bringing Drinks Inside Is Prohibited.

    Signage inside the main entrance....

Estimado Cliente, Le recordamos que el restaurante no se responsabiliza por los objetos personales olvidados.

Esteemed Customer, We remind you that the restaurant is not responsible for forgotten personal articles.

No Se Acepta Billetes de Cien Dólares.

We Do Not Accept $100 Bills.

Prohibido Que Los Niños Juegen o Corran Dentro Del Salon.  El Restaurante No Se Responsabiliza Por Los Accidentes.

It Is Prohibited For Children to Play or Run Inside the Dining Room.  The Restaurant Is Not Responsible For Accidents.

And finally....

El Día Domingo Se Acepta Cheques Hasta Las 19H30.

On Sunday We Accept Checks Until 7:30 p.m.


Unfortunately, there was no sign saying to be careful in ordering the wonton soup.  I asked for it in Spanish along with some other take-out items, and the mozo showed me a menu listing saying wonton frito.   Looked good to me.

After walking from the chifa to the nearby MegaMaxi, I decided to try the soup, but it wasn't in with the packages.  Instead, there were some large, crunchy Chinese crackers.

Back at the restaurant, I explained that the soup was missing, and they made me up a fresh wonton soup.  They wanted to charge me for it.

As it turns out, what I really should have ordered the first time was the wonton especial, as the wonton frito was not soup.  It was the Chinese crackers!

I had already thrown out the crackers at the mall, so an exchange wasn't possible.

Well, that's $3.41 I'll never see again!

Doesn't this sound like something that would happen to Nards Barley?

cccmedia in Quito

Come on ccc  "frito" That seems like light lifting to me!!!!!!!!!!

As I said in my PM, welcome back to the forum, Sue.  Nards was just recently wondering whether the Oracle of Oregon had given up on Ecuador as an Expat destination.

Anyway, we can't be too tough on ourselves.  The fact that we make mistakes usually means we're out there working on our español.

When we discover -- or someone points out -- an error, we can learn from it.  I'm sure I won't be ordering the wrong 'wonton' again  

And maybe someone else read about it and won't make that mistake either.

cccmedia in Quito

suefrankdahl wrote:

Please enlighten us professor. Will I have to dig thru my boxes to find the LA Spanish book I bought?

Actually, in this post, we're going to welcome in a guest profesor -- William C. Harvey -- author of Spanish For Gringos.

Take it away, Bill....

"Forget what you've been told....There's no such thing as perfect Spanish, so don't get stuck trying to figure out the best way to say something....

"Spend most of your time listening.  You'll be talking in no time....Listen to fluent speakers.  Soon new words will emerge naturally in everyday conversation....

"Act as if you know more than you do.  Learn to have self-confidence around people who speak only Spanish....Experiment with new words and phrases....

"Don't make excuses.  You'll never get started if you do....

"Most of all, relax.  The idea of learning a new language scares the life out of most people, so don't feel ashamed.  Just accept the fact that you're going to sound strange and look awkward for a while.  It's no big deal....

"Never give up.  Don't worry about a thing, have some fun, and just go for it."

suefrankdahl wrote:

Wish I had taken Spanish in HS. Probably a lot more useful  in this hemisphere.

We'll keep going with the Signs Around Quito theme, since there are so many Spanish-language signs around town and Gringos will be better off for knowing what many of them mean.

Probably the best way to work with this format is to read the original español words in italics...see how much of it you can understand on your own...then go on to the English translation. 

Seen today on the passenger-side doors of a local taxi...

Transporte Seguro...Al subir a este vehículo, Usted está siendo grabando en audio y video todo el tiempo.

Safe Transport...Upon getting into this vehicle, you are being recorded in audio and video at all times.

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