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Lesson Introduction

Today we're going to be answering some questions that have come straight to us from our users. Why do we use the imperfect tense? How do you use the phrase "no pasa a mayores?" Is "botana" real Spanish? Tune in to find out the answers to these questions.

Comments (23) RSS

Avatar Team
yennyhernandez09 says

¡Marco se ruboriza al final del podcast!Le pasa por malpensado. Ja ja ja..... 

August 4, 2010 from the Web.
Avatar Team
lilianamata says

Les pedimos que compartan más preguntas para PA´QUE SEPAS!!

Hit us with all your questions! Post them here!

August 5, 2010 from the Web.
mztish says

hola liliana

Can you please explanin when morirse is used? I have read about it's use in a grammer book but I am still not clear on it.

I also get confused with desde hace.

gracias

August 8, 2010 from the Web.
Avatar
anna8 says

Hi Ewong!

To look at it slightly differently--

irse:  to leave, go away

ir:  to go

For example:

A:  Me voy (I'm leaving.) irse

B:  ¿A dónde vas?  (Where are you going?) ir

A:  Voy al cine. (I'm going to the movies.) ir

Does that make sense?

August 5, 2010 from the Web.
mztish says

Hola anna8

I have had this discussionn with my teacher and he explained it as:

me voy=I'm leaving (NOW.) irse

te vas? are you leaving? (NOW) irse

August 8, 2010 from the Web.
anna8 says

Hi mztish,

Couldn't you say:

Mañana me voy / I'm leaving tomorrow. (not now) irse

or if you meet someone on the street and they ask you where you're headed (right now), you answer:

Voy a casa / I'm going home. (now) ir

August 8, 2010 from the Web.
mztish in reply to anna8

Hola

Yes I think you could use irse that way.

so this is what makes learnign a new language so interesting!

Before he told me that I took irse to mean "to go away"

August 9, 2010 from the Web.
anna8 says

It IS interesting, mztish! Especially when you're looking at a common word like 'go' -- These words are sort of like linguistic icebergs. What you see on the surface is just a small part of what is there under the water. And what's under the water is all the stuff that native speakers know. That's why they can tell you how to say something or know immediately when you make a mistake.

The problem is that it's hard to translate that kind of knowing into useful rules for second language learners.

It's a good thing this language learning stuff is fun -- or it would be killing me :o)

August 9, 2010 from the Web.
Avatar
cengizz says

A donde vas ?

mi voy a casa.

Tengo que ir ahora.

August 5, 2010 from the Web.
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rodneyp says

Almost there cengizz.

¿A dónde vas?  Voy a mi casa. (ir - not reflexive)

Tengo que irme ahora (irse - reflexive) OR
Me tengo que ir ahora.

August 5, 2010 from the Web.
Avatar
stevestr says

I couldn’t agree with Anna more. The are some verbs in Spanish with two versions, one ending in "se" and one not, that look like reflecive verbs but are not. In these verbs, the “se” changes the meaning of the verb. Here are a few example from a book which overs this subject very well.Ir- to goyIrse - to go away or leave

Saltar – to jumpSaltarse – (informal) Illegal jumps e.g. traffic lights or starting signals (like a starting pistol in a race)

Llevar – to wear. To take, to carryLleavarse = to take away

I find that if you try to find a way to think of these verbs as being reflexive it will drive you crazy.

August 5, 2010 from the Web.
Avatar
rodneyp says

Una pregunta por la siguiente show...

La expresión "a ver".  Hay muchos usos para este/ Pueden darnos unos ejemplos en las maneras mas comun para usar esta frase?

August 5, 2010 from the Web.
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lucie-manette says

Otra pregunta: ¿Cómo se llaman las tres manecillas de un reloj? O sea, creo que la que marca los minutos se llama minutero, pero las otras no me las sé.

En inglés decimos hour hand, minute hand, y second hand (o si estamos hablando con niños que apenas han aprendido cómo decir la hora, decimos "big hand" y "little hand" para diferenciar en la de las horas y la de los minutos).

August 5, 2010 from the Web.
rodneyp says

¡También me gustaría saber eso! Que buena pregunta.

August 6, 2010 from the Web.
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rodneyp says

He escuchado "seño" como una manera corta de decir "señor".  Es muy comun?  En cual pais usan esta?

August 6, 2010 from the Web.
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stevestr says

Lucie-manette Rodneyp

Para ver partes de un reloj, tocquen el enlace abajo entonces toquen "Answers"To see parts of a clock, click the link below then click "Answers"

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/language/spanish/label/clock/

August 6, 2010 from the Web.
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kikuyu says

¡Muchas gracias por esta explicación sobre "no pasa a mayores"!

August 8, 2010 from the Web.
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lucie-manette says

Una pregunta que tiene que ver con la palabra "siempre".  Mis amigos mexicanos me dicen frases como "¿siempre vamos a ir al cine?" o "¿siempre no fuiste a trabajar?"

Me parece que es una manera de decir "a fin de cuentas", pero si alguien me puede explicarlo mejor, estaría muy agradecida.

August 10, 2010 from the Web.
Avatar Team
yennyhernandez09 says

Hola Lucie.

Yo nunca he utilizamo ¨siempre¨ en ese contexto, pero  en México si lo hacen, un mejicanismo.

Gramáticalmente y fuera de este uso adicional que se le da en Méjico, ¨siempre¨  se utiliza en una frase positiva¨ y su forma negativa es ¨nunca¨.

August 10, 2010 from the Web.
lucie-manette says

Gracias por aclararlo Yenny. Tienes razón- es un mexicanismo.

August 11, 2010 from the Web.
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jmarie says

por favor, podríais escribir aquí las cuatro frases para describir un día caluroso? gracias!

August 17, 2010 from the Web.
lucie-manette says

Está hirviendo.

Está que arde.

Está cayendo candela.

El indio está que quema.

August 17, 2010 from the Web.
Avatar
donartemio says

Siempre quierría saber que diferencia entre estas palabras:

Aquí, ahí y acá, allá. Parece que las dos ultimas usan en América Latina pero he escuchado los españoles que también las utilizaban.

Aquí (España) = acá (América Latina) = here ? 

Ahí (España) = allá (América Latina) = there ?

August 18, 2010 from the Web.

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