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Lesson Introduction
You might be surprised by how easy it is to say the word "internet" in Spanish! What's more important is to learn how to ask your Spanish-speaking friends "How do you say...?" Later in the lesson we'll learn about anglicismos, which are words that are "borrowed" directly from English. You know more Spanish than you thought you did!
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jpvillanueva says
¡Hola todos! You know, I was a classroom teacher before I came to Studio Fiesta to work. I can tell you that "¿Cómo se dice?" is absolutely golden in Spanish class. Use it whenever you need to know a word! The trick is, that when someone tells you what the word is, you should repeat it, write it down, use it in a sentence right away! Don't just say "yah, what you said," and then move on with your sentence!November 20, 2007
jpvillanueva says
And another thing, while I'm on my soap box.... I had a "Spanish-only" rule in my classroom, but students could ask "¿Cómo se dice...? and then the English word. Of course, my students tried (every year!) to get away with speaking English, thinking it was ok by prefacing it with ¿Cómo se dice...? So they'd say: "Profesor, ¿cómo se dice... eating "cuy" is nasty... because it's a HAMSTER and GROSS! meow meow meow...." Needless to say, I had to use my Jedi skills to handle that mess, but be assured, I laid down the law! Moral of the story: Use ¿cómo se dice...? to ask for specific words, don´t use it as a free pass to speak English! Whew! Ok, lecture is over!November 20, 2007
john says
¿Cómo se dice I'll be sure to do that?November 20, 2007
says
En España, se dice, "Vale!" which means, "Word!" or, "Sure!" Pronounce it with extra "BA"-le :)November 20, 2007
jpvillanueva says
John, Out in the hallway. We're going to have a care-frontation, son.November 20, 2007
lvalmoria says
¿Cómo se dice 'care-frontation'? ;) ... Actually, that raises a point I always wonder about when picking up new languages--how fond are Spanish speakers of 'wordplay' and do they use it often in every day conversation/humour? ¿Cómo se dice 'e-mail'? En francès, se dice 'le courrier electronique'. I think in Spanish it's similar, but that's a really long phrase for 'e-mail'. Any anglicismo for this? Loving the 'hot dog'/'perro caliente', by the way.November 21, 2007
steve says
lvalmoria, I lived with some mischievous schoolboys in Mexico, and I can confirm that they love wordplay. Trouble is, none of the wordplays I learned there are 'family friendly' if you know what I mean... I might be on track for a 'care-frontation' with JP if I write them here...November 21, 2007
rodneyp says
Hola lvalmoria, The official spanish for email is 'correo electronico', but I've also just used 'email'.November 21, 2007
luisita says
Why don't we have any exercise available for this lesson?November 21, 2007
trevelyan says
¿Cómo se dice, "Great Lesson" en espagnol?November 21, 2007
adri says
In my Colombian Spanish I would say ¡Qué lección tan chévere! or ¡Qué lección tan buena!November 21, 2007
MexicoBob says
I would say it slightly differently Adri. "¡Esta lección es muy padre!"November 21, 2007
jpvillanueva says
So did you know you can use "¿Cómo se dice...? to ask for an English word, as well? Oh yes, yes you can! Pop Quiz ¿Cómo se dice "chino" en ingés? Y, ¿"japonés"? Answers to the pop quiz appear in the Vocabulary section (scroll up!).November 21, 2007
jpvillanueva says
(btw, "cuy" is a guinea pig, raised for meat in the Andes region. Everyone who's tried it swears it's delicious...)November 21, 2007
yardbird says
I love when MexicoBob provides one of those Mexican expressions that no one else uses in other Spanish-speaking countries. Qué padre for, oh, let's see, estupendo, is a great example. And if a Spanish speaker here asks me ¿Cómo estas? and I answer with a shrug of my shoulders and "dos qué tres," they know I've learned to speak mostly with the help of Mexican Spanish speakers, which is true. Instead of saying más o menos, I mean.November 22, 2007
jamesl says
I liked this lesson alot. It makes me feel more confident knowing some phrases to help me communicate about the language. If I don't understand what someone says, how would I ask them to write it down? ¿Cómo se dice, "Would you please write that down?"?December 2, 2007
jpvillanueva says
jamesl, I'll tell you, but you have to guess first! The word for please is "por favor." And the word for to write is "escribir." First take a guess, and when you're ready, highlight (or triple-click) the black "spoiler box" below with your cursor.... Escríbamelo, por favor Did you get it right? If you did, that's great. If you didn't, don't worry, that tiny bit of discomfort caused by being told to guess might help you remember the correct form better. It's an old teacher trick!December 2, 2007
lilianamata says
Another useful phrase is "hable más despacio." Talk slower, I know we native speakers have a tendency to speak very fast.December 2, 2007
rodneyp says
------------------------------------------------------ And if a Spanish speaker here asks me ¿Cómo estas? and I answer with a shrug of my shoulders and "dos qué tres," ------------------------------------------------------- What does "dos qué tres," mean in this context?December 5, 2007
lilianamata says
Rodneyp "dos qué tres" means "more or less" , like "mas o menos" or "so so." The actual translation is "two what three" but meaning is "so so."December 5, 2007
austinfd says
When I was in third grade, we had Spanish class once a week, and I have a very vivid memory of Senora Levin teaching us "Como se dice..." She really wanted us to try and use Spanish exclusively!December 5, 2007
canadamartin says
Hi all I've been focusing on the Chinese half of my membership and just recently began resuming the Spanish lessons. I really appreciate these discussion forums and how they extend the lessons and widen my understanding. To boot; the new hosts are very friendly and informative!December 27, 2007
jpvillanueva says
canadamartin, ¡Bienvenido!December 27, 2007
ewong says
im not familair with the spanish alaphabet why is the "c" in como pronounced as k, while the "c" in dice is pronounced as sJanuary 29, 2008
lilianamata says
The C followed by "i" and "e" is soft like an "S" sound, same as English. In the case of "como" because it is followed by an "o" son the sound is "K"January 29, 2008
ewong says
muchas gracias liliana!January 29, 2008
jmitchell2 says
Hey Liliana, In the dialogue the actors use "igual." Can I use "el mismo" interchangeably in this context? Thanks!February 18, 2008
lilianamata says
jmitchell2 Yes you can use "mismo" but you use it with "lo mismo" which means the "same thing,"February 18, 2008
jpvillanueva says
jmitchell2, when you use "el mismo" it's always going to be "el mismo (something)." Like "son del mismo equipo" they're from the same team. "mismo" is an adjective. The thing about "lo" is that it takes adjectives and makes them into nouns. So "lo mismo" is the same thing, "lo bueno" is the good thing, "lo sexy" is the sexy thing. If you say "el mismo" I will ask you "el mismo what?" because I will be expecting you to name a noun. So to say "the same thing," you can sayFebruary 18, 2008
In this dialog, you might replace "igual" with "la misma palabra." : )
donperigo says
In spanish, Is it possible to ask "what does it say?" imagine someone pointing at a sign or someone inquiring about a passage in a newspaper. can inanimate latin objects speak? is "que se dice" ok? or do you have to refer directly to the text with "que significa estas palabras?" or possibly "que se escribe aqui/alli ?"March 13, 2008
lilianamata says
Donperigo You can point to the sign and say: "Qué dice aquí?".March 16, 2008
babygurl4u says
how do u translate"nobody is home so leave a message" in spanishMarch 18, 2008
cyberdiva says
Hola babygurl4u. How about this: Hola, no nos encontramos en este momento, por favor dejenos un mensaje. Gracias.March 18, 2008
tykes123 says
May 30, 2008
is it common to say "navigar la red" for surfing the internet
stevestr says
May 30, 2008
tykes123
"navigar la red" works in colombia
kevinryn says
June 11, 2008
¿Cómo se dice "You think you could help me with my Spanish?"
"¿Tú pensar tú puedes sírvete mí con mi Español?" O
"¿usted le piensa podría ayudarme con mi español alguna vez?" O
"¿Crees que podría ayudarme con mi español?"
The fist one I translated on my own with a dictionary the other two came from online translators, I'm sure there riddled with errors.
thesmithtopher says
June 11, 2008
Kevinryn, I'd say (if informal) "¿Me podrías ayudar con mi español?"
I'm sure there are many other ways as well :)
thesmithtopher says
June 11, 2008
I've heard "navegar por la red" (not navigar), or "por el internet" or just "navegar por Internet". "Navegar en la internet". (I've heard la and el for the article). There's more as well!
joanna175 says
June 21, 2008
Hola todos! Can I just ask about last exercise?There seem to be not enough correct wards to finish exercise is it purposively,mistake or am I something missing here? Gracias
joanna175 says
June 21, 2008
Hola todos! Can I just ask about last exercise?There seem to be not enough correct wards to finish exercise is it purposively done,mistake or am I something missing here? Gracias
kevinryn says
June 25, 2008
¿Cómo se dice "would you want to get ice cream with me?"
"¿le gustaría obtener helado conmigo?" ¿Correcto?
chrisjov says
July 3, 2008
Same as Joanna175 - No se cómo...(I have just started learning so there we are - still very helpful, and I am starting already to be matching words up.) ¡¡Muchas Gracias!!
jpvillanueva says
July 3, 2008
kevinryn,
if you're treating someone to ice cream, you might say
or if you just want them to come along with you:
missyag12345678910 says
July 21, 2008
hola meamo erin gomestas bene
missyag12345678910 says
July 21, 2008
hola todeos
missyag12345678910 says
July 21, 2008
do you have a gotto
missyag12345678910 says
July 21, 2008
no me
missyag12345678910 says
July 21, 2008
esta hermet crab
blastsef says
August 15, 2008
wow i love this..since i was young i have this desire to learn how to speak Spanish..i learn few words today..very clear discussions
.....and you will really learn..very nice approach:)
vero2311 says
August 20, 2008
Hola buenos dias!
Como se dice : I love espanol?
gracias.
Vero
khin says
August 21, 2008
hola Vero,
Buenos dias, i might say i love spanish is
"me gusta hablar español".
vero2311 says
August 22, 2008
Hola Khin!
Thanks for the translation. Encantada te conocer. (any mistake in this sentence?)
Gracias
Vero
stevestr says
August 22, 2008
vero2311
I think it would be better to say Encantada de conocerte.
aymod says
September 8, 2008
que bueno que yo hablo espagnol
sillygrama says
September 9, 2008
Hola,
Como se dice grandson; grandsons? Where on my keyboard can I find the Spanish punctuation marks?
martinillo says
September 9, 2008
sillygrama:
the grandson - el nieto
the granddaughter - la nieta
the grandsons - los nietos
the granddaughters - las nietas
the grandchildren - los nietos
donperigo says
September 9, 2008
sillygrama
aqui is a guide to adding spanish punctuation
davidhj says
September 12, 2008
como se dice?... I love tennis
stevestr says
September 12, 2008
davidhj
I would say
Me encanta tenis.
swaffie says
September 18, 2008
como se dice... "how do you say that in Spanish?" when you aren't naming a specific noun?
jpvillanueva says
September 18, 2008
swaffie,
you can say "¿Cómo se dice eso?"
Hope that helps!
swaffie says
September 21, 2008
Thanks JP, that makes sense.
Now, if I want to say "how do you say it in Spanish?", again not referring to a specific noun by name, but in the context of a conversation would it be "¿Cómo se lo/la dice?"
Swaffie
hypersport says
September 21, 2008
Hola swaffie.
If it's already understood what it is you're talking about, and you simply want to ask "how do you say it in Spanish" you could say...
¿Y en español? ¿Cómo se dice? or you could just say ¿cómo se dice en español?
This is a case where there isn't a direct translation for the word "it". The word "it" is already included in the conjugation Se dice...it is said
portree says
September 21, 2008
hola
mauricereeves says
September 24, 2008
I have a question about the distinction that was raised about "d" in different words (todo, for example). I know in Spanish spoke in Spain there is more of a tendency to blur the line between "d" and "th", and that is not as present in Spanish spoken elsewhere.
Should we just pick whichever we're comfortable with and stick with it? Also, are there specific cases where the d is always soft?
I'm new to the site, so maybe I haven't found it yet, but do you have a breakdown of different pronounciations by country? I know enough that Cuban Spanish can sound wildly different from Mexican Spanish from Castillian Spanish, etc. I'd love some help here.
Thanks!
stevestr says
September 24, 2008
I agree with your observation. And there are places, especial in the Caribbean where “d”s at the end of words disappear altogether. There is a formal rule for when “d” is pronounced similar to an English th and when it is pronounce more like an English D.
Check out this link http://www.studyspanish.com/pronunciation/letter_d.htm
There was a Pa’ Que Sepas lesson on this but I can not find it.
holi76 says
September 27, 2008
the word anglicism exists also in English as far as I know...
stevestr says
September 27, 2008
holi76
I checked wordReference and they say that the Spanish word is anglicismo.
desa says
November 10, 2008
i love learn espanol mencanta ablar espanol
donperigo says
November 10, 2008
desa
te hablas bien,
me encanta hablar español tambien. :-)
aqui is a guide to adding spanish letters
ninja7777 says
December 3, 2008
peace homie!!!
jeraldina says
March 13, 2009
The expansion includes the following sentence:
Se lo voy a decir. I am going to tell him.
Can this also mean: I am going to tell her. or I am going to tell them.
And would the following be correct?
Se los voy a decir. I am going to tell him (the stories).
kikuyu says
March 13, 2009
jeraldina, tienes razón. para aclarar la frase puedes decir: Se los voy a contar a el.
I think contar would be a better choice for to tell stories.
jeraldina says
March 13, 2009
Gracias por contestar mi pregunta tan rápido.
kikuyu says
March 13, 2009
de nada
evandar says
September 15, 2009
¡Hola! Me gustó el parte de lección con los anglicismos, jejeje.
Dos preguntas:
1. Am I the only one who gets up and dance with a coffee in his hand when I hear the intro and outro music?
2. Could Liliana have a more perfect name? It's just so lovely.
Ai, una otra pregunta:
3. ¿Como se dice "I love playing videogames" en español? I discuss video games frequently, y'see.
donperigo says
September 15, 2009
evandar
no
no
Ai hay un otra pregunta?
there is another question?
me encanta jugar (a) los videojuegos (not sure about the a )
evandar says
September 15, 2009
Gracias, donperigo, but you misunderstood me slightly. My "Ai" was more a "Oh!" or "Oh, silly me" or "Ouch" ,than anything else. Just a sound, really. Perhaps I should've used something else to avoid confusion?
Btw, good to know there are others out there dancing as well. I really can't help myself. ^^
donperigo says
September 15, 2009
strangley the same thing happened to me last year
evandar says
September 16, 2009
Jejeje, qué gracioso!
marcobestgen says
Hola Leo que se dice para computadora "la Mac". Es feminina porque "computadora" ? ¿ Asi que tambien seria feminina una Macbook, una PC Compaq, una tore HP ? GraciasOctober 31, 2009
evandar says
November 2, 2009
marco, me gustaría saberlo también. ¿Alguien?
marcobestgen says
November 2, 2009
Hola Evandar, cualquiera sea la respuesta, mi Macbook es chicita :-)
evandar says
November 3, 2009
Jejeje. A mi, tengo una computadora, porque es la sóla opción buena pàra jugadores. Y es más barata también.