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2 answers
Usage of "ver(se)" for "to seem/look" (te ves, se te ve, te veo, etc.)
The verb ver can be used in a few different constructions to convey how something looks or seems:
Te ves bonita.
Se te ve mal.
Te veo bien.
For the reflexive constructions, the WordReference entry for verse doesn't seem to even include these…
jrdioko
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9
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1 answer
Difference between "tener que ..." and "necesitar ..."?
If I have to say something like I gotta leave in Spanish, I'd use a phrase like:
Tengo que irme
But I realize that I could also say:
Necesito irme
What is the difference? You would translate them as I have to go and I need to go I believe, but…
daveslab
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9
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2 answers
Differences between "aun", "hasta", and "incluso" to indicate extremes?
When referring to an extreme example for comparison, English seems to have just one word, even:
Even an idiot could do it.
But Spanish seems to have three:
aun
hasta
incluso
I had always used aun for this but then realized it wasn't the only…
hippietrail
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1 answer
Is there a Spanish equivalent for '(sic)'?
In English, when you quote text or speech that you know has nonstandard usage, such as misspellings or nonstandard grammar, it is typical to use '(sic)' to indicate that you know what you're quoting is wrong, but that you're doing it…
Flimzy
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9
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1 answer
Rules applied to the separation of syllables
As a native speaker it's natural for me to know how a word is separated in its constituent syllables. But I want to know if there are any established rules to know how a word is separated into its syllables.
For example:
camión = ca-mión
sol = sol…
Alfredo Osorio
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9
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2 answers
"to feel ashamed for an unknown person" or a cringe-worthy experience
Since the upcoming of talk- and music-casting shows in Ger & US TV in the last two decades, Germans created the compound verb fremdschämen, e.g., when somebody is embarrassing in his actions or says utterly stupid things in front of a large…
Hauser
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9
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3 answers
idioma, lengua and lenguaje
The words idioma, lengua and lenguaje can all be translated as "language".
Are they interchangeable? If not, what are the differences among them? When to use which?
kodkod
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9
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1 answer
Indirect object and "le"
La madre le lava la cara a la niña.
In that sentence, why is the word "le" there? The sentence already has a indirect object ("a la niña"), but removing the "le" makes the sentence to sound unnatural.
Edit: Does this sentence sound right? Why/why…
dusan
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9
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4 answers
"Día de Muertos" or "El Día de los Muertos"?
Which way of saying the Day of the Dead is correct: "Día de Muertos" or "El Día de los Muertos"?
I am making a display of pencil boxes for this holiday, and want to be correct in my verbiage. I have found it written both ways in a Google search, and…
Kelli
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¿Cuál es el origen del modismo "es equis" para decir que algo no es malo ni bueno, sino "más o menos"?
Una amiga de Monterrey, México a veces dice "Ah, es equis" para decir que no le apasiona cierta cosa. Ejemplo:
A: ¿Te gustan los tacos que se venden en la esquina?
B: Meeh... son equis.
¿Cuál es el origen de ese modismo? Y ¿Dónde se usa ese…
Flimzy
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2 answers
¿Cuál es el origen del uso de "patilla" en vez de "sandia" en Venezuela?
Hasta donde sé yo, todo el mundo hispanohablante llama al fruto sandia (en ingles "watermelon"), menos en Venezuela donde se le llama patilla. Pero patilla tambien significa "sideburn" en inglés.
¿Por qué esta curiosidad regional? No veo ninguna…
Paul
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9
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¿Cómo se traduciría el término "edgy as fuck" al español?
He leído mucho este término en muchos foros de discusión en inglés, quisiera saber si saben cuál término en español podría ser un buen equivalente a este.
Ojo, en los foros lo utilizan con su acepción de "buscapleitos", "provocador", "atrevido",…
user478249
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¿Cuándo usar "coste" y cuándo "costo"?
Ambas tienen un significado parecido, ¿cuándo se debe usar una o la otra?
coste
2 . m. Gasto realizado para la obtención o adquisición de una cosa o de un servicio.
costo
1 . m. Cantidad que se da o se paga por algo.
Alfredo Osorio
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9
votes
6 answers
Origin of "Te echo de menos."
I learned Spanish in Mexico, where "I miss you" is "Te extraño." However, I've recently been traveling around Europe, and I learned the Spanish phrase for the same is
Te echo de menos.
What is the origin and literal meaning of this phrase?
Flimzy
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9
votes
3 answers
Words that mean different things in the preterite
There are some verbs that seem to have quite distinct meanings in the preterite tense. I don't know whether they also seem to change meanings to native speakers or if it just seems completely natural to them.
With saber:
Sé que ella me engaña. → I…
Brian
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