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votes
2 answers
Article usage before country names
I have heard several countries expressed in Spanish with a definite article before the country name (e.g. los Estados Unidos, la Argentina, la India). Is there a rule for when this occurs and when it doesn't? Is the definite article optional, or are…
jrdioko
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13
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2 answers
Why is Usted sometimes abbreviated as Vd. instead of Ud.? Is there any difference in usage between the two?
I've noticed that the word Usted can be abbreviated at least 2 ways, the most common of which being Ud. and Vd. to my knowledge. I see how Ud. makes perfect sense, but why is a V used instead of a U in Vd. and Vds. ? Is one of the abbreviations more…
Gordon Gustafson
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13
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2 answers
"Aún" vs. "todavía", what's the difference?
Somebody just asked me to correct something, and I found that I changed one of their instances of todavía to aún. I didn't do this because todavía wouldn't have worked in the sentence, but rather because I just felt aún flowed better.
The original…
Kevin K.
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13
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6 answers
"Plátano" and "banana", geographical differences?
I don't really speak Spanish, but I do know a few words and phrases here and there, and enjoy furthering what little knowledge I have. So, today I saw, in a Swedish newspaper, a reference to plantains (we call them "cooking bananas" over here), as…
Christofer Ohlsson
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13
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2 answers
Origin of the mexican expression "güey/buey"
There is common Mexican informal expression "güey/buey" (written as "wey" in text).
Where did it come from?
Since when did it become a common expression?
Examples:
A que güey estás. (You are so dumb.)
Aquel güey siempre esta descansando. (That…
Alfredo Osorio
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13
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6 answers
What does "a la orden" mean?
A friend of mine from Argentina keeps saying to me "a la orden" and I asked her what it meant and she couldn't explain it. What does it mean? I would guess it means okay?
DerPolyglott33
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13
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5 answers
What Spanish term (or terms) work best to describe a glass jar as used for coffee, jam, etc?
A bit earlier in the chat room I mentioned that I needed to buy a new jar of coffee, but that I didn't know how to express that in Spanish.
I want to know a good Spanish word for "jar" in the sense of a glass container with a lid that is opened and…
hippietrail
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13
votes
4 answers
The letter "k" in Spanish
The letter "k" is rarely seen in Spanish. What is the origin of Spanish words containing a k? Are most recent loanwords from modern languages, influences from older languages (Latin or Greek), or of an even earlier origin?
jrdioko
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13
votes
2 answers
Is there a name for words having two opposite meanings?
In the question "Are there any words that have opposite regional meanings?" there is a list of Spanish words each one having two opposite meanings. Is there a name (in Spanish) for this kind of words?
Gonzalo Medina
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13
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9 answers
Why is it "Tengo un libro para ti" instead of "Tengo un libro por ti"? Isn't "por" used for exchanges?
The sentence
Tengo un libro por ti
indicates that I will give you something and giving is exchanging.
My mom taught me that when you are thanking someone for something you always say gracias por. That makes sense because someone exchanged…
Edna
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13
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3 answers
How does one say "It's not nothing."
In English, we can express the idea that something is not negative, such as:
A: What's in the box?
B: Oh, nothing.
A: It's not nothing!
In English, the double negative (not and nothing) conveys the idea that we are negating the "noting" said…
Flimzy
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13
votes
4 answers
Does "Prima" have a double-meaning (in Mexico)?
I recently saw this billboard in León, Guanajuato, México:
[Sorry for the awkward placement of the light pole in the photo; I was driving when I snapped it.]
The sign is an advertisement for Tecate beer, and follows a pattern similar to other…
Flimzy
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13
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2 answers
Can Spanish distinguish between "lonely" and "alone"?
I learned that solo in Spanish means both "alone" (the simple fact of not having anyone else around) and "lonely" (feeling sad because of being alone). Is there any way of distinguishing between these two English meanings in Spanish? Or is the…
jrdioko
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13
votes
7 answers
What can be used in Spanish to convey "couch potato"?
Last night during dinner, I asked my oldest kid about kindergarten, and he told me they played "Couch potato tag" during P.E. (physical education)
I asked about the game dynamics and he said that when someone tags you, you become a couch potato.…
Diego
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13
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4 answers
Is there more concise way to say "tomorrow morning" than "mañana por la mañana"?
I am a designer, working on a weather forecast layout which will support Spanish translations.
Is there a shorter way to say "Tomorrow Morning" than "mañana por la mañana"?
I have many different constraints on the available width of the text and I…
jessegavin
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