Spanish Word of the Day

Quote: Wizard

In the situation I encountered the word, the talker was rambling on about something the person he was speaking to was not interested in at all.

Now, that's what I mean by bad translations. The meaning is "to chat" only. To ramble on about a boring subject would best be called "divagar," meaning to talk or to write without a definite purpose. If the speech is funny and carries no real content, then you can call it "cantinflear." That word comes from a popular movie comic called Mario Moreno, who used the stage name "Cantinflas."

Quote:

¡Gilligan, deja de platicando y recoger algunos plátanos! = Gilligan, stop talking and and pick some bananas!

"Giligan! Stop to being chatting and to pick up some bananas."

I'll quote Victor Hugo: "?"

The question is whom Gilligan is chatting with. So: "¡Gilligan! Deja de platicar con el Profesor y ve a recoge unos plátanos."

Fecha: 12-10-12
Palabra: huelguear

To today's SWD means to strike, as in collective bargaining. The word for a strike (noun) is huelga. The word for a striker is huelguista.

I see there are quite a few words in Spanish that begin with "hue." The question for the advanced readers is what does the prefix mean?

Ejemplo time.

Maryann no cocina la cena por que ella esta huelguear = Maryann didn't make dinner because she is on strike.

Quote: Wizard

To today's SWD means to strike, as in collective bargaining. The word for a strike (noun) is huelga. The word for a striker is huelguista.

I'm not sure that's a word, even if it is in the dictionary. Some nouns don't have a verb attached to them. In fact, you're reminding me of my Yiddish classes, where any unknown word in Yiddish was replaced with an English or Spanish term witht he suffix "irn" added. So for example "to attack" was rendered as "attackirn," rather than the Yiddish term, I think, "befaln."

Anyway, strikes, especially by students in public universities, are a common occurence in Mexico. You don't ever hear anyone say "huelguear." Ever. Not in the media, not the strikers themselves, not the people talking about a strike. Instead you hear "En huelga," or maybe "de huelga."

Quote:

Maryann no cocina la cena por que ella esta huelguear = Maryann didn't make dinner because she is on strike.

Literally: Maryann don't cooking dinner be cause she is on to strike.

Let's try Maryann no cocinó la cena por que esta en huelga.

That's good.

Quote: Nareed

I'm not sure that's a word, even if it is in the dictionary.

The verb is holgar and is a stem changing verb. The verb means "to be idle after labor" and is not necessarily a strike

huelga could be formal second-person singular (usted) present indicative form of holgar, or it could be a noun (in which case it means strike).

More common o-> ue stem changing verbs are:

acordar
to agree, decide
The noun would be acuerdo which refers to "the agreement"

acostar
to put to bed

almorzar
to eat lunch
The noun would be almuerzo which refers to "lunch"

aprobar
to approve

colgar
to hang

contar
to count, to tell
The noun would be cuenta which refers to "the bill"


demostrar
to demonstrate, prove

devolver
to return an object

dormir
to sleep

encontrar
to find

envolver
to wrap

forzar
to force

morder
to bite

morir
to die

mostrar
to show

mover
to move an object, to motivate

poder
to be able to

probar
to test, taste

recordar
to remember

resolver
to solve

rogar
to beg, pray

soler
to be in the habit of

sonar
to sound, ring

soñar
to dream

tostar
to toast

volar
to fly

volver
to return

===========
The verb and present indicative conjugation
costar - "to cost"
cuesto cuestas cuesta costamos cuestan

is a funny one. The word "costa" also means "shore" as in "Costa Rica". The noun "cuesta" does not refer to a "cost estimate", but instead refers to a ridge, and has been adopted from Spanish into technical English when discussing geomophology.

Fecha: 12-11-12
Palabra: Achicharrar

Today's SWD means to burn. "Wait a minute!", I hear the intermediate readers saying, "I thought the word for burn was quemar."

As near as I can tell, the difference is that achicharrar means to be burn really badly. To the point where only ashes remain. I'll leave it to the advanced readers to give the correct answer. Meanwhile, I'll say again, learning a language would be just too easy if there were just one word for anything.

Ejemplo time.

Traté de hacer bizcocho de chocolate y nueces, pero los achicharré tan malos que debí tirarlos en el jardín de piedras. = I tried to make brownies, but I burned them so badly that I had to threw them in the rock garden.

How many pushups do I owe for that one?

Quote: Wizard

Fecha: 12-11-12
Palabra: Achicharrar

Today's SWD means to burn. "Wait a minute!", I hear the intermediate readers saying, "I thought the word for burn was quemar."

As near as I can tell, the difference is that achicharrar means to be burn really badly. To the point where only ashes remain. I'll leave it to the advanced readers to give the correct answer. Meanwhile, I'll say again, learning a language would be just too easy if there were just one word for anything.

Ejemplo time.

Traté de hacer bizcocho de chocolate y nueces, pero los achicharré tan malos que debí tirarlos en el jardín de piedras. = I tried to make brownies, but I burned them so badly that I had to threw them in the rock garden.

How many pushups do I owe for that one?

One for using threw instead of throw. Me encanta compartir.

Quote: miplet

One for using threw instead of throw. Me encanta compartir.

Well, I'm not saying it is an exact translation, but the "had to throw" I think implies the past tense. Furthermore, I don't think encantar is reflexive, like gustar. If you really like sharing I think you would say Encanto compartir. If you just like it moderatly, like as much as a Smurf, then Me gusta compartir.

If you're going to give out push ups, be prepared to receive them. Nareed?

Welcome to the SWD.

Quote: Wizard

If you're going to give out push ups, be prepared to receive them. Nareed?

Miplet's right.