Archive for 'Spanish Vocabulary'
Pedro Navaja Posted by Adir on Jul 20, 2009
Remember that song, Mack the Knife, the 1958 classic performed by Bobby Darin? Well, Panamanian singer/songwriter Rubén Blades wrote one of his greatest hits, Pedro Navaja, based on Mack the Knife. It talks about a neighborhood thug who appears to die during a robbery (his song “Sorpresas” continues the story). Here’s some vocabulary so you…
Juego: Las Profesiones Posted by Adir on Jul 3, 2009
Today we’re going to play a game! I’ll give you guys a list of 25 occupations, in Spanish, and what each one of them does. Try and match the occupations to the activities. Profesor Ingeniero Electricista Fontanero Carpintero Mecánico Dependiente Taxista Administrativo / secretario Arquitecto Bombero Albañil Farmacéutico Peluquero Veterinario Médico Abogado Carnicero Camarero Cartero…
Word origin: recordar Posted by Adir on Jun 27, 2009
In the old days, people thought that feelings lived in the heart. For Aristotle, the heart was the core organ in the body and the brain played a supporting role. At the same time people thought the memory was also lodged in the heart, so the Romans started using the word recordari, which comes from…
The Weather: Part II Posted by Adir on Jun 18, 2009
Every Spanish textbook has its share of weather-related vocabulary, but they only offer the basics. Today we’re going to learn some more vocabulary to talk about it. I have put them into grammar categories to make it easier for you. Sustantivos el aguacero – downpour el alud/ la avalancha – landslide; avalanche el amanecer –…
Using the letter G corrrectly. Posted by Adir on Jun 15, 2009
As posted earlier, choosing between the letters g and j in Spanish is no easy task, so here are some more tips to help you. Use g with: 1. words that start with: – gest-, gene- o geni-, except jenízaro (child born from parents of different nationalities) and jeniquén (a kind of plant): gesto –…
Échame una mano, por favor. Posted by Adir on Jun 11, 2009
My Brazilian students learning English give me such a hard time when they come across the verb ‘get’ because it has so many different meanings. Spanish is no slouch either, because it has the verb ‘echar’. Check out some of its meanings (there are tons!). 1. to throw, to toss, to cast. Echa la pelota…
¿Me estás acusando de algo? Posted by Adir on Jun 8, 2009
The verb acusar (to accuse) has so many variants, which are sometimes very subtle in meaning, that I decided to show you guys some of them. 1. encausar – to prosecute, to put on trial (used in legal and newspaper language)- No creo que puedan encausarla si no hay ni un solo testigo. 2. imputar…