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Spanish Word of the Day
| July 3rd, 2017 at 11:08:56 AM permalink | |
| Pacomartin Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 1068 Posts: 12569 |
I believe encabezar is a transitive verb since it takes a direct object. Gilligan encabeza el equipo a buscar plátanos. - Gilligan leads the team to look for bananas. Gilligan encabeza el equipo que busca plátanos. - Gilligan leads the team looking for bananas. I think the problem is that English is more forgiving of using different verb forms. It doesn't sound awful to say "to look" (infinitive form), but it probably sounds terrible in Spanish. |
| July 3rd, 2017 at 11:18:25 AM permalink | |
| Nareed Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 346 Posts: 12545 |
I won't get into what word is the one used (hint: it's not on your post), and I'm not one to give sound grammar advice most times. But I will this time: Mind your prepositions. above you're saying "..should have made a left turn to Albuquerque." The right preposition here is "EN" Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER |
| July 3rd, 2017 at 11:27:24 AM permalink | |
| Nareed Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 346 Posts: 12545 |
Transitiveness is not a matter of meaning but of use. The verb caminar has only one meaning, and it's non-transitive. In English it has the same meaning, but it's transitive (to walk a dog, for example). Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER |
| July 3rd, 2017 at 5:53:01 PM permalink | |
| Pacomartin Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 1068 Posts: 12569 |
The dictionary says it can be used as an intransitive or as a transitive verb. I often find that dictionaries say you can use a verb in a certain way, but native language speakers think it is bizarre. But you are correct that English speaker regularly use "walk" as a transitive verb, an intransitive verb, a noun, with verb phrases (walk off with my girl) and idiomatic phrases (take a walk). Walk is one of the oldest verbs in the English language. From Old English wealcan "to toss, roll, move round" and 2. wealcian "to roll up, curl,"
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| July 3rd, 2017 at 6:15:00 PM permalink | |
| Pacomartin Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 1068 Posts: 12569 | I think we talked about this before, but of the 25 most common verbs in the English language, only two are of Latin origin and are similar to the Spanish verbs (usar "trier" is still a verb in French, but not in Spanish. I think "intentar" is the closest meaning. 1 Be 2 Have 3 Do 4 Say 5 Get 6 Make 7 Go 8 Know 9 Take 10 See 11 Come 12 Think 13 Look 14 Want 15 Give 16 Use <====== Latin origin 17 Find 18 Tell 19 Ask 20 Work 21 Seem 22 Feel 23 Try <====== Latin origin 24 Leave 25 Call |
| July 3rd, 2017 at 7:18:23 PM permalink | |
| Wizard Administrator Member since: Oct 23, 2012 Threads: 239 Posts: 6095 |
I'm surprised that "run" isn't on that list, which has numerous usages. I could run on all day about it. Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber |
| July 3rd, 2017 at 11:26:58 PM permalink | |
| Pacomartin Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 1068 Posts: 12569 |
The verb list I gave you is based on the evidence of the Oxford English Corpus, which currently contains over 2 billion words. There are other word frequency lists. Usually the word frequency list has to include "lemmas" like you would see in a dictionary. For instance the lemma "be" includes "am, are, is, was, were, be, & being" which are just conjugations of the verb "to be". Also you have to exclude uses of the same word when used as a noun instead of a verb. Also there are "phrasal verbs" that have unique meanings. 12 Phrasal Verbs With RUN Run After Run Around Run Away Run For Run Into Run Off Run On Run Out Of Run Over Run Through Run Up Run With But the verb "run" would normally be in the top 50 verbs of most frequency lists. For example comparing verbs in the Corpus of Contemporary American English as opposed to the Oxford English Corpus was get some slight deviation although the top four are identical. Oxford English has 'get' as #5 and 'go' as #7. American English has 'go' as #5 and 'get' as #7. The verb "can" is surprisingly high in American English and not even in the top 25 in Oxford English. Perhaps phrases like "Can I help you?" are more common in American English. At some point a corpus of the spoken word would differ from the written word, but it is much more difficult to organize billions of spoken words.
Both lists have "use" as the most common verb that came from Latin . The verb "use" replaced the O.E. verb "brucan" (which survives as the verb brook "to tolerate, put up with something unpleasant"). Strangely enough the original word "brucan" meant both "use" and "enjoy". |
| July 4th, 2017 at 7:45:00 AM permalink | |
| Nareed Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 346 Posts: 12545 |
English is far more versatile than most other languages because 1) it's a true bastard tongue, descended from proto-Germanic but having borrowed heavily from many other languages, 2) it has a limited set of conjugations, which allows for multiple uses for the same, and 3) it lacks an official authority to police its use. Consider simple present tense conjugations of to walk: Spanish: Yo camino Tu caminas Usted camina Ella/El camina Nosotros caminamos Ustedes caminan Ellos caminan English: I walk You walk She/It/He walks We walk You walk They walk See what I mean? Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER |
| July 4th, 2017 at 9:31:42 AM permalink | |
| Pacomartin Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 1068 Posts: 12569 |
Walk is part of one of the most common phrasal verbs in English; "walk in on" or "walked in on". Is there an equivalent in Spanish? Google translate uses a different verb. The verb "entered" doesn't seem to carry the same implication of shock and surprise. When I was age 13 I discovered my first Playboy and then my mother "walked in on" me. Cuando tenía 13 años descubrí mi primer Playboy y luego mi madre entró en mí. - Google translate |
| July 4th, 2017 at 9:45:21 AM permalink | |
| Nareed Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 346 Posts: 12545 |
Google claims your mother penetrated you. So I'm assuming she found the dildo as well as the Playboy :) Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER |