Re: Word of the Day

by CanuckBob Tue Apr 09, 2013 9:06 am

fumar foo-mahr' (verb)
to smoke

Examples

1. Andrés dejó de fumar cuando nació su primer hijo.

Andrés stopped smoking when his first child was born.

2. Mi abuelo fumaba cigarros en la playa.

My grandfather smoked cigars on the beach.

by CanuckBob Tue Apr 16, 2013 1:15 pm

el vehículo veh-ee'-koo-loh (noun)
vehicle, car

Examples

1. Ese avión es un vehículo de carga.

That plane is a cargo vehicle.

2. La familia Méndez se acaba de comprar un vehículo nuevo para acomodar a siete personas.

The Méndez family just bought a new car to accommodate seven people.

by CanuckBob Wed Apr 17, 2013 9:08 am

secar seh-kahr' (verb)
to dry

Examples

1. Te tienes que secar el pelo antes de salir al frío.

You need to dry your hair before going out into the cold.

2. La tierra se secó tanto durante la sequía del 1910 que se agrietó.

The earth dried out so much during the drought of 1910 that it cracked.

by CanuckBob Sun Apr 21, 2013 8:43 am

designar deh-seeg-nahr' (verb)
to designate

Examples

1. Siempre es bueno designar a un conductor que se mantenga sobrio cuando se beba en una fiesta.

It is always a good idea to designate a driver that stays sober when there is drinking at a party.

2. Hay que designar un testamentario para distribuir la propiedad del difunto.

We have to designate an executor to distribute the deceased's property.

by CanuckBob Thu Apr 25, 2013 9:00 am

imprimir eem-pree-meer' (verb)
to print

Examples

1. ¿Imprimiste los boletos para el vuelo esta tarde?

Did you print the tickets for the flight this afternoon?

2. Estoy imprimiendo las fotos del viaje para hacer un álbum de memorias.

I am printing pictures from the trip to make an album of memories.

by whatshername Sat May 04, 2013 4:39 pm

CanuckBob wrote: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.

If you are talking about Mexico's electric company, the CFE (Comisión Federal de Electricidad), the word to use is this one: comisión.
--"La comisión me cobró demasiado durante el mes de abril."

by viajero Sat May 04, 2013 5:02 pm

I've always heard it referred to as "la comision" as well.
Welcome to the forum whatshername.

by CanuckBob Sun Jun 09, 2013 8:36 am

el llamado yah-mah'-doh (noun)
call, calling

Examples

1. Siento que trabajar con el Cuerpo de Paz y ayudar a los desfavorecidos es mi llamado.

I feel that working with the Peace Corps and helping the disadvantaged is my calling.

2. El empleado público renunció a su trabajo porque pensó que hornear pasteles era su llamado.

The civil servant resigned his post because he thought that baking cakes was his calling.

by whatshername Sun Jun 09, 2013 11:27 am

Solovino wrote:
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).

And if someone says, "Ese muchacho es de la onda," it's insider slang for saying he's gay.

by Don Cuevas Thu Jun 27, 2013 6:18 am

bobnliz wrote:'Culpable' is another one of those lovely cognates that only go to show just how closely Spanish ans English are related.
It means exactly the same thing in either tongue. one just has to learn how to pronounce it...

Por ejemplo:
actor, doctor, director, inspector, protector.... L

Y, ¿"preservativo" y "embarazada"?

by Zedinmexico Wed Jul 03, 2013 8:56 am

"Basta" Enough Depending on how it is said it can be slightly rude. Very useful when
being chased by the Condo Salesman in PV. Or said more softly to stop children from doing
something. A fine Spanish word in my opinion.

Z

by CanuckBob Sun Sep 08, 2013 8:41 am

promover proh-moh-vehr' (verb)
to promote

Examples

1. Están promoviendo la nueva película de superhéroe con una costosa campaña publicitaria.

They're promoting the new superhero movie with an expensive advertising campaign.

2. El presidente viajó por todo el país y promovió su nueva agenda económica.

The president toured the country and promoted his new economic agenda.

by CanuckBob Mon Sep 09, 2013 8:39 am

irracional ee-rah-cee-oh-nahl' (adjective)
irrational

Examples

1. Le tengo un miedo irracional a los payasos.

I have an irrational fear of clowns.

2. Le dije a mi amiga que dejar su trabajo sin haber conseguido otro era una decisión irracional.

I told my friend that leaving her job without having found another was an irrational decision.

by CanuckBob Thu Sep 12, 2013 8:23 am

reparar reh-pah-rahr' (verb)
to repair, to restore

Examples

1. Tuve que llevar mi ordenador a la tienda para que me lo repararan.

I had to take my computer to the store so that they could repair it.

2. Después del último pleito que tuve con mi novio, no creo que será posible reparar la relación.

After the last fight I had with my boyfriend, I don't think it's possible to repair the relationship.

by CanuckBob Fri Sep 13, 2013 8:10 am

hundido oohn-dee'-doh (adjective)
buried, sunken

Examples

1. Como niño me gustaban mucho las historias de piratas y tesoro hundido.

As I child I really liked stories of pirates and sunken treasure.

2. En el Caribe se puede bucear para ver buques hundidos.

You can go diving to see sunken ships in the Caribbean.

by CanuckBob Sun Sep 15, 2013 2:56 pm

la medicina meh-dee-see'-nah (noun)
medicine

Examples

1. Cuando era muy pequeña, mi hermana menor se tomó por accidente la medicina de mi abuela, pensando que era caramelo.

When she was very young, my younger sister took my grandmother's medicine by accident, thinking it was candy.

2. En el siglo XX hubieron muchos avances importantes en la medicina.

There were many important medical advances in the 20th century.

by CanuckBob Mon Sep 16, 2013 9:09 am

administrar ahd-mee-nee-strahr' (verb)
to administer, to manage

Examples

1. Mi esposa administra nuestras finanzas; tiene más cerebro para los números que yo.

My wife manages our finances; she has more of a brain for numbers than I do.

2. El dueño de la empresa ha ido promoviendo a sus hijos, pero no saben administrar el negocio.

The owner of the company has been promoting his children, but they don't know how to manage the business.

by CanuckBob Thu Sep 19, 2013 10:27 am

la comprensión kohm-prehn-see-ohn' (noun)
comprehension, understanding

Examples

1. Los estudiantes del distrito no sacaron buenas calificaciones en la comprensión de lectura.

District students did not test well in reading comprehension.

2. Acostumbro a hablarle a mi perro, pero él siempre me da una mirada completamente falta de comprensión.

I'm in the habit of talking to my dog, but he always gives me a look completely devoid of understanding.

by CanuckBob Fri Sep 20, 2013 7:36 am

contraer kohn-trah-ehr' (verb)
to contract; to shrink, to abbreviate

Examples

1. Mi amigo contrajo la gripe justo antes de irse de vacaciones.

My friend got the flu right before going on vacation.

2. Contrajeron la agencia por falta de fondos.

They contracted the agency for lack of funds.

by CanuckBob Sat Sep 21, 2013 9:13 am

retirado reh-tee-rah'-doh (adjective)
retired (employment); remote, secluded

Examples

1. Mi vecino es un profesor universitario retirado.

My neighbor is a retired university professor.

2. El año pasado para nuestras vacaciones nos quedamos en una cabaña retirada en las montañas Blue Ridge.

Last year for our vacation we stayed in a secluded cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

by CanuckBob Sun Sep 22, 2013 8:52 am

frecuentemente freh-koo-ehn-teh-mehn'-teh (adverb)
frequently, often

Examples

1. Durante la primavera frecuentemente vamos de picnic en el parque.

During the spring we often picnic at the park.

2. Yo trabajo frecuentemente para mi trabajo.

I travel frequently for work.

by CanuckBob Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:38 am

la declaración deh-klah-rah-see-ohn' (noun)
declaration, statement

Examples

1. La Declaración de Independencia de los Estados Unidos es uno de los textos políticos más innovadores de la historia moderna.

The Declaration of Independence of the United States is one of the most innovative political texts in modern history.

2. El jugador de béisbol tuvo que hacer una declaración formal después de haber dado positivo en un análisis antidopaje.

The baseball player had to make a formal statement after testing positive in a doping test.

by CanuckBob Tue Sep 24, 2013 8:47 am

reflexionar reh-flex-ee-oh-nahr' (verb)
to reflect, to consider

Examples

1. No hemos tenido tiempo de reflexionar sobre la oferta que recibimos para la casa.

We haven't had a chance to consider the offer we received on the house.

2. Después de reflexionar sobre la propuesta que me hizo la empresa, decidí aceptarla y mudarme a Nueva York.

After considering the proposal the company made me, I decided to accept and move to New York.

by CanuckBob Wed Sep 25, 2013 8:57 am

refinado reh-fee-nah'-doh (adjective)
refined

Examples

1. Mi amiga pasó un semestre en París y ahora tiene unos gustos muy refinados.

My friend spent a semester in Paris and now she has very refined tastes.

2. Antes de poder usarse en un coche, el petróleo necesitar ser refinado.

Before you can use it in a car, petroleum must be refined.

by CanuckBob Sun Sep 29, 2013 8:27 am

maldito mahl-dee'-toh (adjective)
damned, wretched

Examples

1. ¡Ay! Me he golpeado el maldito dedo del pie contra la silla.

Ouch! I've stubbed my damned toe on the chair.

2. Si sigue así este maldito calor creo que nos derretiremos todos como la malvada bruja del oeste.

If this damned heat keeps up I think we'll all melt like the Wicked Witch of the West.

by CanuckBob Tue Oct 01, 2013 8:52 am

la evolución eh-voh-loo-see-ohn' (noun)
evolution, development

Examples

1. Darwin publicó "El origen de las especies", su tratado en el que presentó su teoría sobre la biología evolutiva, en 1859.

Darwin published "On the Origin of Species," his treatise in which he presented his theory of evolution, in 1859.

2. En la exhibición en el museo se puede ver la evolución de la obra de Van Gogh.

You can see the development of Van Gogh's work in the exhibit at the museum.

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