Most Popular
1500 questions
10
votes
5 answers
Translating "actually" (as in a change of mind)
There are many times I run into conversations like this:
Waitress: Would you like some water?
Me: No thanks.
She walks away for a second, then comes back
Me: Actually, could I get a cup of water please?
or
Friend: Do you need a hand with all that…
jrdioko
- 17,681
- 86
- 194
- 301
10
votes
3 answers
“Que viene” vs “próximo”
I have seen the expression, “next year” translated as both “el año que viene” and “el año próximo.” Are there regional preferences? Which one is more natural and why? Which translation is particularly used in Mexico?
TheLearner
- 5,411
- 13
- 52
- 98
10
votes
3 answers
"De donde fue" instead of "De donde estaba"
In Nicaragua, addresses are usually given as directions from a landmark, for example:
From the stadium, go 5 blocks south, then 3 blocks east
Sometimes the landmark is a place that used to be there, and they say "de donde fue", for example:
De…
jrdioko
- 17,681
- 86
- 194
- 301
10
votes
7 answers
Origin of the name "Jesucristo"
The name Jesus translates simply as Jesús, and Christ as Christo. So why is Jesus Christ translated as Jesucristo rather than Jesús Cristo or Cristo Jesús?
Google gives me a plethora of explanations for the origin of the name Jesús or the term…
Flimzy
- 12,896
- 36
- 95
- 166
10
votes
3 answers
Various translations of "ticket"
The English word ticket (that is, a slip of paper used to grant access to something) can be translated several different ways in Spanish:
boleto
pasaje
billete
ticket
entrada
resguardo
What are the differences between these words? In what…
jrdioko
- 17,681
- 86
- 194
- 301
10
votes
9 answers
Is it an insult to call someone 'cabrón'?
Is it an insult to call someone 'cabrón' in Mexico?
A: Hola
B: ¡Hola, cabrón!
DerPolyglott33
- 2,656
- 20
- 46
- 66
10
votes
2 answers
How come the subject is omitted in Spanish?
You can find hundreds of sources where they say that the subject can be dropped if it doesn't add any additional information. As "voy" is the 1st person singular conjugation of "ir", you know that the subject is "yo". That sounds reasonable when…
Em1
- 928
- 1
- 6
- 24
10
votes
3 answers
¡Buenas! greeting in morning
Another question brings up the fact that in many countries, ¡Buenas! is used as a greeting (as an abbreviation of Buenas tardes or Buenas noches). In regions where this is the case, what should be said in the morning (that is, when saying Buenos…
jrdioko
- 17,681
- 86
- 194
- 301
10
votes
3 answers
Uso invertido de palabras cariñosas e insultos
En mi tierra es bastante normal, en el uso coloquial, encontrar invertido el uso de las palabras cariñosas y los insultos:
"Mira, cariño, una cosa te voy a decir..." -dicho a una persona con la que se está teniendo una discusión.
"Hola feo" -dicho a…
Envite
- 3,615
- 1
- 16
- 25
10
votes
4 answers
Can decimals less than one omit the first zero?
I'm trying to format some text for my company's pricing page.
If we want to express a number that would be written 0.005 in English, my understanding is that it would be written 0,005 in Spanish.
In English, our page currently omits the leading…
echawkes
- 203
- 5
10
votes
2 answers
When does "poco" mean "a lot" instead of "few"?
Yesterday I was in the supermarket in Barcelona and there were a lot of people. The cashier then said to his colleague "Poca gente hoy, sí?", indicating that there are a lot of customers in the line. Someone explained to me before that in some…
timtam
- 297
- 2
- 6
10
votes
1 answer
When should you use the preterite or the imperfect to express past time?
This is a canonical question / Esta es una pregunta canónica
There are two ways to express simple past time actions and conditions in Spanish. One is the preterite,
Comí tacos.
I ate tacos.
Besé a una chica.
I kissed a girl.
and the other…
Brian
- 1,574
- 1
- 12
- 19
10
votes
4 answers
How did "lunar" come to mean both the skin "mole" and the "moon" in Spanish and Portuguese?
In Latin, "lunaris" relates to the moon. The word "lunar" in all the romance languages comes from Latin "lunaris". However, In Spanish and Portuguese, "lunar" can also mean the "mole" on the human skin. I tried searching for a reliable source…
Arunabh Bhattacharya
- 107
- 2
- 25
10
votes
5 answers
Can "La Corrida" mean "The Bullfight"?
I am working on a product branding project and hope to use a Spanish term for a product line named after the Spanish form of bull fighting. Almost all the branding content will be in English so I just need to make sure the Spanish inspired product…
Trindaz
- 203
- 2
- 6
10
votes
2 answers
When to use the article "el" with infinitives in Spanish?
What is the difference between, for example, "el comer" and just "comer" when used as a noun? The case I'm thinking of would use a gerund in English. For example,
El comer chuches antes de cenar no es bueno.
vs.
Comer chuches antes de cenar no es…
neizan
- 777
- 4
- 12