Word of the Day

la comisión koh-mee-syon' (noun)
committee, commission; charge, fee
EXAMPLES

1.Un dictador hace una comisión para el beneficio único de su mismo.
A dictator forms a committee only for his own benefit.

2.Las comisiones bancarias siempre me confunden.
Bank fees always confuse me.

el talento tah-len'-toh (noun)
talent, intelligence

EXAMPLES
1.No tengo ningunos talentos especiales.
I don't have any special talents.

2.Cada persona nace con talento; algunas veces es difícil descubrir lo que sea.
Every person is born with talent; sometimes it is difficult to find out what it could be.

la llave yah'-beh (noun)
key; light switch; (water) faucet, tap; spanner (tool)

EXAMPLES
1. na llave no es necesario para abrir mi corazón; siempre está abierto para ti.
A key isn't necessary to open my heart; it is always open for you.

2. A pesar de saber que cada puerta tiene su propia llave, nunca dejamos de tratar de abrirla con la equivocada.
Despite knowing that each door has its own key, we never stop trying to open it with the wrong one.

desesperado deh-seh-speh-rrah'-doh (adjective)
desperate

EXAMPLES
1. La gente desesperada no mira el lado positivo de las cosas.
Desperate people don't look at the bright side of things.

2. Situaciones desesperadas requieren medidas desesperadas.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.

generar he-neh-rar' (verb)
to generate

EXAMPLES
1. Para generar felicidad solamente necesitas una sonrisa.
To generate happiness, you only need a smile.

2. Las muchas diferentes maneras de generar energía son muy interesantes.
The many different ways to generate energy are very interesting.

Thanks, Bob! Fun to learn a word a day.

la dama dah'-mah (noun)
lady

EXAMPLES
1. Damas y caballeros: ¡Bienvenidos al espectáculo!
Ladies and gentlemen: Welcome to the show!

2. No hay caballero andante sin dama y la dama de Don Quijote se llamaba Dulcinea.
There is not knight-errant without a lady and Don Quijote's lady was called Dulcinea.

la onda ohn'-dah (noun)
wave, wavelength

EXAMPLES
1. Las ondas de radio difunden los mensajes a gran distancia.
Radio waves broadcast messages over a very long distance.

2. Usando las ondas de ultrasonido podemos ver una criatura pequeña antes de su nacimiento.
Using ultrasound waves we can see a little baby before its birth.

CanuckBob wrote:la onda ohn'-dah (noun)
wave, wavelength

EXAMPLES
1. Las ondas de radio difunden los mensajes a gran distancia.
Radio waves broadcast messages over a very long distance.

2. Usando las ondas de ultrasonido podemos ver una criatura pequeña antes de su nacimiento.
Using ultrasound waves we can see a little baby before its birth.

Qúe onda?

The word onda is used colloquially far more and you will here it often. Amongst Mexicans, all day and everyday.

Somewhere in these threads I explained it briefly.

In what context do they use it Solo?

la torre toh'-rreh (noun)
tower

EXAMPLES
1. Adoro a mi esposa tanto que la he colocado en una torre de marfil para protegerla de los amantes.
I adore my wife so much so that I have placed her in an ivory tower to protect her from amorous men.

2. Unos arquitectos famosos han mostrado su talento diseñando torres modernas.
Famous architects have shown their talent by designing modern towers.

CanuckBob wrote:In what context do they use it Solo?

Sometimes as slang and sometimes with a double meaning.

Onda = vibe/happening. Qúe onda? is "what's happening?" or "what's going on". Ese guey es muy mala onda is kind of like saying "that dude has bad vibes or isn't cool. Substitute buena for mala and the dude is cool etxc. You can use it for cool. que buena onda! is like saying "how cool!" and inversely with "mala onda" or not cool.

For example of a double meaning there is a radio station in GDL called "La Buena Onda". It means it has good vibes like in the context described above and it also emits good vibes (radio waves).

abarcar ah-bar-car' (verb)
to embrace; to cover; to view, to be able to see

EXAMPLES
1. Una aurora boreal abarca la noche con luz coloreada.
An aurora borealis covers the night with colored light.

2. En California hay árboles tan grandes que no se les puede abarcar con los brazos.
In California there are trees so tall that you can't put your arms around them.

caído kah-ee'-doh (past participle; adjective)
fallen, low

EXAMPLES
1. ¡Me he caído y no puedo levantarme!
I have fallen and I can't get up!

2. Las tasas de interés han caído a un mínimo histórico.
Interest rates have fallen to a historical low.

brindar breen-dar' (verb)
to drink a toast; to offer

EXAMPLES
1. Brindemos por todos los miembros de SpanishDict que están dispuestos a ayudarnos a aprender español.
Let's drink a toast to all the SpanishDict members that are willing to help us learn Spanish.

2. ¿Puede brindarme un buen trabajo?
Can you offer me a good job?

la propuesta proh-pweh'-stah (noun)
proposal, offer

EXAMPLES
1. Es mejor tener en cuenta todas las propuestas con cuidado.
It is best to consider all proposals with care.

2. Pienso que algunas veces la gente se esfuerza demasiado en hacer propuestas originales.
I think sometimes people make too much of an effort to make original proposals.

Term of the Day:

causa perdida
lost cause

EXAMPLE:
The Speaking Spanish forum.

Pero puedes communicar en espanol perfectamente Solo. Estamos aprendiendo nuevas palabras diario aqui y tengo mucho apreciacion para las efortas de C-Bob. No es una causa perdida y estoy disfrutando mucho el foro.

Disculpe mis errores con los accentos...he perdido mi papel "cheat sheet". Probablemente, hay otros errores tambien...pero, cierto, que Solo va a correctarlos. :)

Encabronada another term of the day.
en cab roh na da.

P.O'd, chick.

La tuya,
la too ya

up yours.

Tu abuelita,

Too ab well eeta

your granny. ( a somewhat benign insult reserved for employees of Soriana at the checkout counter.)

Well thanks for the additions ladies. I noticed Solo's term can be used to describe himself as well.........jaja.

ferret wrote: Solo va a correctarlos. :)

That would be "corregirlos".

My "causa perdida" comment was about the lack of participation on this forum. It sure doesn't look like it draws much interest.

I know, I was just jerking your chain amigo.....

CanuckBob wrote:I know, I was just jerking your chain amigo.....

There was no offense taken. I've heard that my whole life!

Solovino wrote:

ferret wrote: Solo va a correctarlos. :)

That would be "corregirlos".

My "causa perdida" comment was about the lack of participation on this forum. It sure doesn't look like it draws much interest.

Thank you for the correction Solo!

I think the interest will build slowly. It's not necessarily something that requires participation unless someone has a question and most people won't ask questions 'cuz they think it makes them look silly. Hey, ya gotta ask questions!...and ya gotta learn to laugh at yourself and have fun learning.

The phonetic pronunciations are great. A guide to the pronunciation of certain letters would be really helpful as a sticky...like G is pronounced like an H when it is followed by an E or an I. Just a thought.

el odio oh'-dyoh (noun)
hate, hatred

EXAMPLES
1. El odio causa conflictos.
Hate stirs up strife.

2. Con el amor el corazón puede florecer, pero el odio lo convierte en una piedra.
With love the heart can flourish, but hate turns it to stone.