Newbie - What is your job?

¿Es correcto decir “soy arquitecto naval”?.  Un ingeniero que trabaja con los diseños del barcos.

Pues yo sería guitarrista.  O rapero. 

stevestrv, yo diría "ingeniero naval".

A mí me gustaría ser actriz de videoclips,je.

Gracias Esti y puedes ser un actricz muy buana.

Hola todos

what *accountant *means in Spanish?

mahmoud2323

Hola aqui es accountant en español

Aquí es una canción acerca de las contables publicas, en Inglés

JP&Liliana: Is "o sea" always very colloquial? I was told before that it just means "es decir" and is used interchangeably. But on the other hand I couldn't find it in the dictionary of the RAE... Ah, it is described in the Diccionario panhispánico de dudas de la RAE, but they don't describe it as colloquial, instead they give several examples from literature using "o sea", "o sean", and "o séase". They also specifically say that writing "osea" is incorrect; thus, it seems to be quite common in writing.

martinillo, "o sea" can be used in formal situations to give an alternative, but in casual speech it's used very much like the American English "it's like" at the beginning of sentences; it's not considered very elegant. 

JP: Thanks, I wasn't aware of this! (I always learn something new in newbie lessons, although I doubt that I need to worry about the elegance of my Spanish at this point. :)

Follow-up question: I would probably translate "it's like" with "es que". Is that more acceptable than "o sea" in this situation?

martinillo, Latinos use both "es que" and "o sea" to start sentences; I would venture that "o sea" sounds a little more airheaded... at least the way I say it ;)

JP: Thanks again! :)

Soy analista de negocios.  Me gusta mucho ser esritora.

Hola!

I'm a communications consultant (for media relations, public relations and training) for public school teacher/members of the California Teachers Association.

How would I say "communications consultant?"

Would it be something close to:

Yo soy consejero de communicacion?

Donperigo and MM muchas gracias, Ingeniero de Costos o Costes es bueno si? (well donperigo someone has to add to the language a bit of extra creativity you know ;)

Por el segundo trabajo, yo sería director de proyecto.

Me gustaría ser senadora, me gusta mucho la política y la diplomacia.

Senadora o presidenta!! jajaja

 ¿cuál es tu trabajo? - Interesting.   I've never seen that one before.

I use "Que haces" or "en qué trabajas" and I've seen "qué te dedicas".

Are any of these more common than the other, or more appropriate to use in certain  situations? 

Soy una directora de recursos humanos pero me gustaria ser una viajera todos los dias, o quiza una escritora.

rodneyp,

Todas estas formas de preguntarlo son correctas y se usan mucho.

¿Cuál es tu trabajo?

¿En qué trabajas?

¿A qué te dedicas?

¿Qué haces?

¿De qué trabajas?

¿Cómo te ganas la vida?

¿Por qué dice “soy un modelo” y no dice “estoy un modelo”?  ¿Un trabajo no es permanente, sí?

Reachaelt

Thinking of estar being used for temporary attributes and ser for permanent ones usually works but it is a simplification.  The real difference is that ser is used for qualities which define an object and estar is used for the current state of an object.  Estar and the English word state have the same roots.  For example

El está borracho -  He is drunk

El es borracho – He is a drunk (he could stop drinking one day but being an alcoholic is parto of who he is)

El está triste – He is sad

El es triste – He is a sad person.

I guess that a persons occupation is thought of as part of who he or she is.

Rachaelt, stevestrv,

I think estar can be used for jobs if it is a clear part time or temporary job that isn't 'what you are'. For example I'm a student in desperate need of some cash, so I would say

estoy camarero.
I'm temporarily a waiter.

catthatcity

Thank you that makes sence

So guys --

*Estoy camarero makes sense, but unfortunately, as far as I can tell, you have to say the less logical but more grammatical Soy camarero.

Stevestrv, Check out A New Reference Grammar, 29.2:  "Ser is used to link elements in statements of the type 'A=B', where A and B are nouns and pronouns."

...or just try to remember that to talk about professions or jobs, you use ser.  As you recently pointed out, Stevestrv, grammatical logic is not the same thing as "regular" logic.

¿o no es así?

Stevestr, cutthatcity y Anna8 - gracias!  Ahora es claro!

Anna8 y todos

Anna8

I see what you mean and you are correct as always. Although I stand behind me explanation of ser and estar, but I guess my early explanation really is only important when connecting nouns and adjectives.

Todos

Anna8 quoted section 29.2.1 from A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish The text comes from that section..

“Ser is used to link elements in statements of the type “A = B”, where A and B are Nouns or pronouns”

París es la capital de Francia    Paris is the French capital

Es Médico/abogado/bibliotecario     He’s a doctor/lawyer/librarian

Es un estafador/seto es una estafa    He’s a swindler/This is a swindle

…

Estar cannot appear before nouns or pronouns unless the alter are its subject.  Exceptions to this rule are very rare”

At about 7 minutes into the lesson “Elementary – Divorced”  you well hear JP and Lili talking about the difference between “estoy divorciado” and “soy divorciado”

I am a project manager. How would I say that?

¿Soy director de proyectos?

erecu --

Diría que "soy gerente de proyecto(s)" o "soy jefe/a de proyecto(s)".

...lo sé porque yo solía hacer ese trabajo también!

muchas gracias por esta conversacion. Would I have  said "I would like to be a medical doctor" if I say in espanol   .....me gustaria ser un medico?

Muchas Gracias por esta conversacion.

estoy operador de computadoras

ahiarakwem

yes you would, although i believe you dont usually use un/una to refer to professions

if i were to to say in español ...me gustaría ser un medico

Ahiarakwem

You don’t usually use  un/una when refer to a profession by itself but if you add an adjective, you would use un/una.  So:

“Juan es medico”         but

"Juan es un medico bueno”.

Donperigo,Stevestr.gracias Yo apprendiendo. Soy medico pero mi amiga es una enfermera buena.

ahiarakwem

¿Eres médico? Varios de nuestro usuarios son doctores. ¿Qué tipo de medicina practicas?

ahiarakwem

con mucho gusto

Hola

yo soy enfermera

haste luego

Vivi

¡Hola todos!

I'm a web designer and web developer.

What's the Spanish for “designer” (and “web designer”) and “developer” (or “programmer”)?

Gracias.

Ibrnax

Hola! Puedes decir que eres diseñador de paginas de internet o progamador.

Saludos

Wow, how long! :)

Thank you, Liliana!

i dont know, but i'll learn it when other will say it.

Hola mehaba ! you will learn fast like me !

Hola.

Soy una estudiante, pero seria una profesora.

lolalita

Eres ya una profesora? O vas a ser una profesora en el futuro?

"OooOo seAAA, soy modeloOOO", no puedo mas de reir escuchando la voz (creo de Esti ?) es super ;))) un buen fin de semana a todos :) Marco

soy un trabajador de desarolla comunitario. trabajo para un ONG se llama Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion. Quisiera ser un actor famoso.

Hola,

Soy herbolaria.

how come there is no sound on this website?

Hola, soy una mestra(I am a teacher). Quiero aprender spañol!

Soy profesor ciencia

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