Spanish Language Blog

Sonar is a very useful verb in Spanish and before I start explaining what it means, take a look at this dialog and see how this verb is used.

Cierto día, cerca de las 12 (at around 12), sonó el teléfono (the phone rang). Rodrigo atendió (answered). Al otro lado de la línea (at the other end of the line), sonó (sounded) una voz grave e imponente (a deep and imposing voice):
- Buenos días. Deseo hablar con Rodrigo Monrós – dijo la voz.
- Soy yo.
- Y yo soy Miguel Ángel Aguirre Zupay. ¿Me conoce usted? (Do you know me?)
- Aguirre… sí, su nombre me suena (your name sounds familiar), pero no tengo el gusto de conocerlo – balbuceó (stammered) Rodrigo.
- Precisamente (exactly), de eso se trata (that’s what I’m talking about). Soy el padre de Isabela Aguirre.
Nervioso, Rodrigo se sonó la nariz (blew his nose) para hacer ruido (make noise) y ganar tiempo (stall for time).
- Disculpe, ¿qué decía? (you were saying?)
- Que me gustaría conocer a los amigos de mi hija. ¿Es que le suena raro? (Does that sound weird?)
- Sí, señor, digo, no señor, en absoluto (not at all)…
- Estamos entendidos (then we’re good), pues. Hasta luego.

Would you be able to make some sentences with sonar and post them in the comments section? I’m sure you are! Come on, let’s share!

Aqui están algunas palabras muy comunes en español con sus significados adicionales.

Abandonar – to abandon.
Abandonado = scruffy, sloppy (said of a person)

Abusar – to abuse
Abusar de la comida = to eat too much

Acusar – to accuse
Él acusaba cansancio. = He showed signs of tiredness.
Tiene un acusado sentido del humor. = He has a pronounced sense of humor.

Alterar – to alter, to change
Este niño me altera los nervios. = This kid gets on my nerves.

Amasar – to amass
El panadero amasó la masa. = The baker kneaded the dough.

Apostar – to bet
Aposto al mayordomo en la puerta. = I am positioning the butler at the door.

Colonia – colony (of settlers)
Se echó colonia. = She put on some cologne.

Competencia – competency
Hubo competencia por el primer puesto. = There was competition for the first place.

Compromiso – commitment
Llegar a un compromiso = to reach an agreement
No puedo ir esta noche, tengo otro compromiso. = I can’t go tonight. I have another engagement.
Se puso en un compromiso. = He put himself in an awkward position.

Concentración – concentration
La selección francesa ha iniciado su concentración. = The French national squad has set up its training camp.

Copia - copy (of paper, etc.)
Copy (of a book) = ejemplar

Dependencia – dependence
Una dependencia de la granja = a farm outbuilding

Descubrir = to discover
Descubrirse = to take one’s hat off. (Se descubrió al entrar en la iglesia.)

Diligencia = diligence
Hizo el trabajo con mucha diligencia. (He did the work very diligently)
El juez instruyó las diligencias para … = The judge started the proceedings for …
Los bandidos atacaron la diligencia. = The bandits attacked the stagecoach.

Discutir – to discuss
Se les oyó discutiendo en el patio. = You could hear them arguing in the yard.

Facilitar – to facilitate
Esta empresa facilita ropa al ejército. = This company provides clothing for the army.

Fallo – failure, weakness
El juez emitió su fallo. = The judge passed sentence.

Ignorar – to ignore
Ignoraban su paradero. = They did not know his whereabouts.

Ilustración – illustration
La Ilustración = the Enlightenment

Nos vemos prontito!

You must have noticed by now that learning a foreign language is not easy job, because so many words have different uses and meanings. Let’s take a look at several verbs with multiple meanings.

LLEVAR - to take/carry, take a person (somewhere), wear
llevar a cabo – to carry through, accomplish
llevar a los niños a la escuela - to take the children to school
llevar conmigo – to take with me
llevar ropa – to wear clothing
llevar una cosa – to take/carry a thing
llevar una vida de perros – to lead a dog’s life

QUITAR – to remove, take off/away
quitar el polvo – to dust, remove dust
quitar la nieve - to shovel/remove snow
quitar la pintura - to strip/remove the paint
quitar la ropa – to take off one’s clothes

SACAR - to take (out)
sacar a bailar – to ask for a dance
sacar a paseo - to take (out) for a walk
sacar agua - to get/draw water
sacar algo de la caja – to take something from (out of) the box
sacar una foto – to take a picture

TOMAR - to take, drink, eat
tomar apuntes – to take notes
tomar el sol – to sunbathe, to lie in the sun
tomar en cuenta – to consider
tomar leche - to drink milk
tomar lugar - to take place
tomar parte en – to take part in
tomar una comida – to have a meal

So take your time and learn these expressions! ¡Nos vemos prontito!