Spanish Notes

El / La / Los / Las expressing generality

Alex — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:46:19 +0000

Whereas in English we say “doctors” to express the general idea embodying the people who participate in the profession, in Spanish “los médicos” is used. This can be confusing for English speakers, as we associate “El / La / Los / Las” as “The”, which is a definite article.

I wonder what the difference is between “nombre” and “sustantivo” to mean “noun”? Are they interchangeable? I like the way “sustantivo” sounds. It’s pleasing to the ear.

Expressing equality

Alex — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:19:01 +0000

X es tan (bonita) — como Y / X is as (pretty) — as Y

Minor explosion of bottled up grammar

Alex — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:07:15 +0000

Cuando (voy) — / When (I go) —

— (el mes) [que viene] [próximo] / Next (month) —

Poder (Puedo) (comer) / Can (I can) (eat)

Pensar que (las mujeres can a ser amables) / Think that (the women will be nice)

Pasar (dos mes) — / Spend (two months) —

alojarse en (un hotel) — / stay in (a hotel) —

As ~ as X

Alex — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 02:30:04 +0000

es tan (alto) ~ como X / as (tall) ~ as X

More or less

Alex — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:58:40 +0000

X es más — que Y / X is more — than Y

X es menos — que Y / X is less — than Y

X es la/el mas — / X is the most — (?)

X es la/el menos — / X is the least — (?)

NOTE
qué is ‘what’
que is ‘that’ or ‘than’

Call me, Started to

Alex — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 01:47:42 +0000

>> Me llamo Alejandro, pero mis amigos me lláman Álex.

“call me”

>> Empecé a (ver [las películas latinas porque...])

Started to (watch [Latin films because...])

>> no sé por donde empezar (para solucionar el problema)

I don’t know where to begin (to solve the problem)

Have to, Going to, Want to

Alex — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:32:01 +0000

Tener [Tengo] que — (estudiar) / Have to [I have to] — (study)

Ir [Voy] a — (comer) / Going to [I'm going to] — (eat)

Querer [Quiero] — (relajarse) / Want to [I want to] — (relax)

Post-notes:

Tener que hacer algo = To have to do something
Necesitar que hacer algo = To need to do something
Deber que hacer algo = Should do something
Dejar de hacer algo = To stop doing something
Hay que hacer algo = It’s necessary to do something
Tratar de hacer algo = To try to do something