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…
¡Mexicanismos, güey! Posted by Adir on Jun 4, 2009
By now you already know Spanish is spoken in lots of countries and every one of them has their peculiarities. I am a big fan of the Mexican accent and I have found this video where a kid explains the basics for sounding like a Mexican. Here are some words he uses: Güey – dude…
Taking a Taxi in Spanish Posted by Adir on Jun 1, 2009
Hola, mi gente, espero que todos estén bien. Hoy nuestro post será sobre cómo agarrar/coger un taxi, com frases muy útiles. Véanlo en este vídeo de Youtube y aprovéchenlo. Don’t hesitate to send us questions and comments. We love to hear from you!
Word origins: Chiste (joke) Posted by Adir on May 28, 2009
In the early days jokes were not told openly and, if there were people of the opposite sex present, they were told in whispers. To designate these stories, at first obscene ones, the word chiste was used, derived from the verb chistar. Chistar meant “to whisper, to speak in a low voice” or also “to…
Buying, en español – Part I Posted by Adir on May 26, 2009
When you walk into a store in a Spanish-speaking country, you will probably be greeted with an “Hola, ¿todo bien?, or “Hola, buenas.” This greeting requires no formal answer and a simple “hola” is enough. In Latin America, store prices do not include taxes. These are added at the cashier when paying and they add…