Patrick Jackson's Blog, page 3

7 Spanish Words For Vampires

Have you ever had a night when all you wanted to do was just sit back and relax at home with a “copa de vino tinto” (glass of red wine) and watch Netflix? Well, tonight was one of those nights for me. But it didn’t go as planned . . . .

An “amiga” of mine who moved from Medellin to live in Miami about 4 years ago called and told me she was here in Medellin for a few days and that she was not far from my home and she wanted to stop by to “saludarme” (say hello to me). I told her “no hay problema” and she arrived at my home with her 14 year old “sobrina”(niece) Valentina.

After checking to see if there was a “bebida/refresco” (soft drink) in my “nevera” (refrigerator), Valentina then grabbed the “control” or “control remoto” (remote control) and changed the channel ON MY TELEVISION to some type of romance vampire movie. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper.

But then I started watching the vampire movie, and I thought “Wow, this is really cool. I am hearing a lot of vocabulary words that I can share with my readers.” So here are 7 Spanish vocabulary words that you may hear used in a Vampire movie:

1. colmillo – fangs

Los vampiros tienen mal aliento, colmillos largos y piel pálida.

Vampires have bad breath, long fangs, and pale skin.

2. ajo – garlic

La gente usaba ajo para ayhuentar a los vampiros.

The people used garlic to shoo/to chase away the vampires.

3. sanguinario – bloodthirsty

El vampiro sanguinario mordió a sus víctimas.

The bloodthirsty vampire bit his victims.

4. crucifijo – crucifix

En la literatura vampírica, los vampiros siempre aborrecen las cruces y los crucifijos.

In vampiric literature, vampires always abhor crosses and crucifixes.

5. estaca – stake

Para matar a un vampiro, tiene que clavar una estaca de madera en su corazón.

In order to kill a vampire, you have to hammer a wooden stake into his heart.

6. murciélago – bat

Dicen que los vampiros se pueden transformar en murciélagos.

They say that vampires can transform themselves into bats.

7. reflejo – reflection

Los vampiros no tienen reflejos en los espejos.

Vampires do not have reflections in mirrors.

The post 7 Spanish Words For Vampires appeared first on Learning Spanish Like Crazy.

10 Secrets to Learning Spanish Like Crazy

If you want to learn a language quickly and inexpensively, you have picked the right language. With the exception of English, Spanish is spoken more than any other language in the U.S. You will have plenty of opportunities to practice your Spanish with native speakers of Spanish and even Americans that learned Spanish as their first language.

The ability to speak Spanish also opens many career or business opportunities. As an attorney, the ability to speak Spanish has enabled me to represent many clients simply because I spoke their language.

Of course, if you live in certain cities or states you will have more opportunities to practice your Spanish. For example, if you live in New York you can find many Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Colombians, Ecuadorians, Peruvians, Mexicans, and other Latin Americans an Latinos to practice your Spanish. If you live in Texas or California you may find a lot of Mexicans that can help you with your Spanish. In Florida, there are many Cubans.

My objective is to give you a multitude of tips and techniques to help you speed up your learning of Spanish. I also want to reveal a number of things that you can do to make your learning experience as inexpensive as possible.

Número Uno: Immerse Yourself

If you really want to learn Spanish, you need to immerse yourself in the language and the culture. Do you know why you learned English so easily? It’s not just because you were a child when you embarked on your study of the English language. It’s mainly because you were immersed in it. As a child you heard English 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

If you could hear and speak Spanish 24 hours a day and 7 days a week you would also learn Spanish incredibly fast. Although it may be difficult for you to hear and speak Spanish 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, there are things you can do to help immerse yourself in the language.

Instead of listening to your favorite music station when you’re driving in your car, play a Spanish instructional CD. Of course, if your favorite music station happens to be a Salsa or Merengue radio station, you can listen to the Spanish lessons CD some other time.

When you’re home watching TV, try substituting MTV or the Discovery Channel for Univision or Telefutura. If you are jogging, working out in the gym, taking a walk, or just waiting in the doctor’s office, play a cassette or CD from your favorite Spanish course. If you are waiting on line in the supermarket, instead of reading that gossipy tabloid, press “play” on your your cassette player and listen to a Spanish vocabulary tape or some other Spanish lessons tape or CD.

Have you ever met a Hispanic person that has lived in the U.S. for many decades and is still unable to speak English? That’s because he or she has little or no exposure to English and is constantly immersed in Spanish. That’s what you must try to emulate. Expose yourself and immerse yourself as much as possible in the Spanish language and Latin American Culture.

Número Dos: Develop the Right Habits

This is probably the most important advice that I can give you about learning Spanish or any other foreign language. More than anything else, your habits will determine how quickly you learn Spanish. In fact, your habits will determine if you actually learn the language or not.

Of course it helps if you have a language learning aptitude. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a language learning aptitude. In fact, I couldn’t speak English until I was four years old despite the fact that English was my first language and the only language spoken in my home as a child. However, my desire to learn Spanish was strong enough for me to develop the necessary habits for learning Spanish.

Out of habit, every time I turned on my television it was tuned to Unvision, Telefutura or HBO Latino. Out of habit, every time I got in my car the radio dial was set to the Latino radio station Latino Mix. If not, then a CD or cassette from a Spanish course was playing.

Out of habit, if I went out to a club it was a Salsa or Merengue club. If I went out to a restaurant, it was probably a Latin American restaurant. Not that Latino food “es mi plato favorito.” But if I go get a steak at Outback, I am probably not going to get a chance to practice my Spanish with the waiter.

In fact, if I was dating someone, she was either a native of a Spanish speaking country or she learned Spanish as her first language here in the U.S.

If you develop and cultivate these habits, you will learn Spanish extremely fast.

Número Tres: Learn Spanish the Same Way that You Learned English

This may come as a shock to you, but in the high schools and colleges in the U.S., the method that they are using to teach Spanish is all wrong.

If you want to learn Spanish, you must learn it the same way that you learned English. Let me you ask you a question. Which did you learn first: How to speak English or how to read and write English? Of course you learned how to speak it first.

Then why are they teaching the students in the high schools and colleges to read and write Spanish first? That’s because they don’t expect the students to ever be able to speak Spanish. And that’s exactly what happens. Students take several years of Spanish, graduate, and cannot even speak Spanish.

There’s another problem with learning to read and write Spanish before you learn to speak it. By default, you subconsciously learn how to pronounce the Spanish words the way you would pronounce them in English.

I made that same catastrophic mistake. It took me countless hours and countless dollars in private instruction to correct the error. After much wasted time and money, I discovered that the mistake could have been avoided. I should not have learned to read and write Spanish until I had at least reached the intermediate level of conversational Spanish.

You are going to have to trust me on this one …. Nothing sounds more excruciating to Latin American ears than a “Gringo” with a thick American accent speaking Spanish. How do I know? Because now that I speak Spanish fluently, every time I hear an American with a strong American accent speaking Spanish it makes me cringe.

Número Cuatro: Relate to What You Already Know

Many words in Spanish are related to English. When you learn words in Spanish and you relate them to words in English, it is much easier to remember the Spanish words. For example, the word “beber” means to drink. If you make a mental note or written note that the word “beber” is related to the English word “beverage” it is easier to remember. Here’s another example. The word “vegetales” is related to the English word “vegetables.” If you make a note of this, the Spanish word “vegetales” will be much easier to remember.

Número Cinco: Make Use of On-Line Resources

There are a number of on-line resources that can assist you in learning Spanish. Many of them are free. One of my favorites is www.MyLanguageExchange.com. My Language Exchange is an on-line community of language learners. You can meet people who are learning virtually any language at www.MyLanguageExchange.com.

Since you are studying Spanish you would try to meet someone at My Language Exchange that’s a native speaker of Spanish and is trying to learn English. You could become pen pals with the person. But I recommend that you become more than just pen pals. As I mentioned earlier, the only way that you can learn how to speak Spanish is by actually speaking it.

At My Language Exchange, you can meet people that are interested in doing “voice chat.” Voice Chat permits you to have a live audio chat session with one or more persons on-line. This is one of my favorite techniques for learning Spanish. I have practiced with people from Mexico, Spain and Colombia at My Language Exchange.

Normally, I would help them with English for 30-45 minutes. In exchange, they would help me for the equivalent amount of time with my Spanish.

The last time I checked, My Language Exchange was offering two memberships. There’s a Free membership. And there’s a Gold membership. The Gold membership costs only $12 for a full year. That averages out to just $1 per month.

Número Seis: Become an Imitator

From the very beginning of your learning-Spanish journey, try your best to imitate native speakers. Try to imitate their pronunciations, their intonations, etc. This is not something that you should delay. In fact, this is one of the most important facets of learning any language.

Have you ever had someone come up to you and speak in what sounded like a foreign language. Maybe the person was asking for directions or some other information. And after the person rambled on for a while, you realized that the person was not, in fact, speaking a foreign language. He or she was actually speaking English. But his or her accent was so thick that you initially believed that the person was speaking a foreign language.

This can happen to you as a student of Spanish if you are not careful. You must make a purposeful effort to sound like native speakers. I know many Americans who claim that they speak Spanish fluently but their accents are awful. When I hear them speak, I say to myself “what a Gringo.” So I can only imagine what a native speaker of Spanish says about the person.

If you wait until you reach the intermediate level to start sounding like native speakers it will be too late to break the chains of habit. Make a deliberate effort to start now. It will begin to pay off when you start noticing how many native speakers of Spanish tell you how great your accent sounds.

Número Siete: Practice Makes Perfect

Practice Makes Perfect is more than just a saying. It’s a language-learning reality. When we were children we were completely unaware of the emotion called “embarrassment.”

Throughout my teenage years and adult life, my mother would tell me about a story – a true one – that when I was four years old I had wanted a drink of water, and I asked “wah wah – wah wah.” My sister, on the other hand, barely two years old at the time would say “mother may I have a glass of water please.”

Despite the fact that a child not much more than a toddler was speaking perfect English and I was grunting like a caveman, I never became discouraged or embarrassed. I kept at it until I got it right. And now I can say water in two different languages – actually three if I include Portuguese.

You have to take the same child-like attitude toward learning Spanish. You will make many mistakes. You will mispronounce words. You will use the wrong vocabulary. And you will make grammatical errors. But never let this hold you back from practicing your Spanish with a native speaker – even if the native is a total stranger.

You must accept the reality that making mistakes is a part of learning any language. If you are not making mistakes, it’s because you are not speaking Spanish to anyone. And if you are not speaking, then you are not learning.

Keep in mind that Rome was not built in a day. And neither was Madrid, San Juan, Santo Domingo, Cali, Mexico City, Colón, Havana or Buenos Aires.

Número Ocho: “But First You Must Believe . . .”

I don’t know if it was Peter Pan who first said this one, but I am going to borrow it. It is imperative that you believe in yourself and your ability to learn this beautiful language. I cannot overemphasize this point.

I am a strong believer in the power of thought. This is a technique that has not only helped me to learn Spanish, but it has also helped me immensely in everything that I have ever set out to do in life. I encourage you to use this same technique – not only in learning Spanish – but with any goal that you wish to accomplish.

In anything that I am striving to accomplish, I first visualize the successful outcome of the goal.

After I have visualized the successful outcome of the goal, in this case speaking Spanish fluently, I then map out the steps that I must take in order to arrive at the accomplishment of my goal. For example, the steps may involve practicing Spanish everyday for one hour. I then put in writing the steps that I need to take on a daily basis to accomplish my goal. Then I take action. Not sporadic action or inconsistent action. I take daily, consistent, tremendous action until my goal is accomplished.

Número Nueve: And now for my favorite

Learning-Spanish technique: Get a Latin Amor

This technique may get you in a lot of trouble if you are already married or otherwise in a committed relationship. In other words, this suggestion is only for the single people.

If you really want to learn Spanish quickly, find a “significant other” that’s a native of a Spanish speaking country. Preferably, someone that speaks very little or no English. This way you will be forced to listen to and speak Spanish.

Número Diez: Last but Certainly Not Least:

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER Give UP

If you stay focused you will surely accomplish your goal of speaking Spanish proficiently or fluently. And you have total control over whether you reach that goal in a year or two or a decade or two. I hope that the techniques that I have outlined in this report will enable you to accomplish your goal as quickly as you desire.

You are also welcome to pass this report on to anyone who you think may benefit from this report. However, I do ask that you do not make any changes to this report if you pass it on to anyone.

Patrick Jackson

 

 

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Patrick Jackson is the Founder of the Learning Spanish Like Crazy system of learning Spanish. To learn more about his system of learning Spanish visit his web site at www.LearningSpanishLikeCrazy.com

NOTE: You’re welcome to “reprint” this article online or offline as long as it remains complete and unaltered.

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The Different Pronunciations of the Letter “Y” and “LL” in Spanish

In this blog post, I will talk about the Different Pronunciations of the Letter “Y” and “LL” in Spanish This blog post is actuallly from an email that a customer sent to me in Jaunary 2007. In her email, she made a very interesting comment about Level One of the original version of Learning Spanish Like Crazy. The original version as opposed to the NEW version which was released in 2015.

I thought that you might find her comment interesting and my response helpful.

She wrote, “Patrick, I noticed an inconsistency in the course.” She said, “sometimes the male speaker pronounces the Spanish letter ‘y’ and the Spanish double ‘l’ (ll) so that it sounds like the English letter ‘j.’ For example, he will pronounce the Spanish word ‘yo’ like the English word ‘Joe.’ On the other hand, the female pronounces the Spanish letter ‘y’ and the Spanish double l (ll) so that it sounds like the English letter ‘y.’ For example, she will pronounce the Spanish word ‘yo’ so that it sounds like ‘yo’ in the English word “yoyo.”

I wrote the reader to tell her that the “inconsistency” was by design.

 

The Different Pronunciations of the Letter “Y” and “LL” in Spanish

 

When I first started learning Spanish most, if not all, of the self-teaching materials used the “neutral” pronunciation. In other words, the Spanish letter “y” and the Spanish double l (ll) were pronounced like the English letter “y” in “yoyo.”

One day I finally met a bi-lingual Spanish speaker that did not use the so-called neutral pronunciation. He used the “regional” pronunciation. And his pronunciation of the Spanish letter “y” and the Spanish double l (ll) sounded more like the English “j” sound.

I remember how confident and excited I was to tell him that I spoke Spanish. I think at the time I had been studying Spanish for about six months and I was really happy with the progress that I was making. So I asked him to speak to me in Spanish — AND ONLY IN SPANISH.

Speaking at a slower than normal pace, he said a very simple phrase to me in Spanish. Referring to his wife he said “ella habla español” — which means “she speaks Spanish.”

“Ella habla español” is a phrase that is basic enough for anyone who has been studying Spanish for six months to easily understand. Especially, when the speaker is speaking at a slower than normal pace.

But since I was unfamiliar with regional accents, it sounded to me as if he was saying “Asia habla español.”

And I responded, “no, en Asia no se habla español,” Then I added, “En Asia, se habla chino y japonés.”

His response?

For a about 5 or 6 seconds he was completely silent. And then he began to roar with laughter as if I was a stand-up comedian and I had just told a joke that HE FINALLY GOT.

He must have been thinking, “This guy can’t be really serious.”

So when developing the learning method for the ‘original’ version of Learning Spanish Like Crazy course, I felt that it was really important to have native speakers with neutral accents and regional accents. Even though the regional accents are less common than the neutral accents.

From my experience, you can find both accents in the same country when you travel from one region to another. For example, the female speaker (Pamela) on most of the lessons has a very neutral accent. She is from Mexico.

Ruben the male speaker on most of the lessons, is also from Mexico but he is obviously from a part of Mexico where they have a very slight “regional” accent.

In some of the lessons in Level One we used Maria. Maria is from Medellin, Colombia. She has a very strong “regional” accent and when says the Spanish word “ella” to my Gringo ears it sounds a lot like the English word “Asia.”

And in the some of the lessons in Nivel Uno we used a voice actor from Bogota named Juan Pablo. Juan Pablo sounds very “neutral.”

If you are serious about speaking Spanish fluently, you will undoubtedly come across both accents when speaking to native Spanish speakers.

Please note that in 2015, we released a new version of Learning Spanish Like Crazy Level 1. In 2016, we will release a new version of LSLC levels 2 and 3.

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How To Stay Safe While Learning Spanish in Latin America

On numerous occasions, I’ve mentioned that one of the most effective ways to learn Spanish is to take a trip to Latin America where you will be totally immersed in the language. I have also said that since the Spanish of Colombia has not been diluted by English as much as the Spanish of many other Spanish-speaking countries, I have recommended that you take a trip to Colombia to learn Spanish.

Well, a couple of weeks ago an American was killed here in Medellin, Colombia. A 65 year old, New Yorker by the name of John Mariani. He was killed during an apparent robbery attempt in a wealthy neighborhood of Medellin called Poblado when his taxi was intercepted by gunmen on a motorcycle. Mariani was shot and killed by the “ladrón” (robber) when he refused to hand over his wallet.

The authorities in Medellin are now offering a reward of 50 million Colombian pesos (about $16,000 U.S.) for information leading to the capture of those responsible.

Here’s a link to a New York Daily News article about Mariani’s murder:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world...

If I am recommending that people come to Colombia, and especially Medellin, to learn Spanish, then I should also give a few tips on how to stay safe in Colombia and other countries in Latin America.

First of all, do not resist a robbery attempt. Although Colombia is a developing country, there are a lot of extremely poor people here. The minimum MONTHLY wage in Colombia is 644,350 Colombian pesos. That’s the equivalent of $225 U.S.

And that’s NOT a weekly minimum wage but a monthly minimum wage. Not to mention that there are many, many Colombians who are paid “off the books” who earn less than the legal minimum monthly wage.

To a Colombian “ladrón” (robber) your iPhone, wallet, cash are very valuable. But no iPhone, wallet or cash is worth losing your life.

And although Medellin, Colombia is not nearly as dangerous as it was 25 years ago when Pablo Escobar ruled Medellin, both petty crime and violent crime still continue to be problems which plague this wonderful city.

With that said, I feel the need to say statistically Medellin is a lot safer than several U.S. cities including New Orleans, Baltimore, Oakland, Detroit, and Chicago. A typical “ladrón” in Colombia has no intentions on killing his victim. And by simply complying with his requests and turning over your belongings, you’ll escape the ordeal unscathed.

 

What Does “Dar Papaya” Mean in Colombia?

 

The second thing not to do . . .

In Colombia, they have a saying called “dar papaya.” “Dar papaya” means “to show off” or “to ask for it” or “to make yourself easy prey” or “temp fate.”

For example,

Mi primo dio papaya y lo atracaron ayer por la noche, le robaron la plata y el celular. (My cousin was showing off last night and they mugged him for his money and cell phone.)

Es mejor no dar papaya y no llevar tu tarjeta de crédito. (It is better to not tempt fate and take your credit card.)

Ese hombre dio papaya y le robaron la cadena de oro. (That man was showing off and they robbed him of his gold chain.)

Here are some examples of “dar papaya” (tempting fate) in Colombia:

1. Walking the streets while talking on your shiny new iPhone 6

2. Wearing a nice watch or an imitation of a nice watch

3. Pulling out a big wad of cash when making a purchase at a store or restaurant or paying a taxi driver.

Despite the above, I still recommend that you visit Colombia. As Colombians say to “extranjeros” (foreigners),

“el único riesgo es querer quedarse” (the only risk is wanting to stay.)

Although that may not be completely true, Colombia still has so much to offer:

Snow-capped mountains, coffee plantation tours, Caribbean Islands with white sand beaches (San Andres and Providencia), Amazon River, Humpback whale watching, Salsa dancing in Cali, Cartagena and its 16th- century castle, the carnival in Barranquilla, and, of course, my favorite: Medellin which is known as “La Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera” or “City of Eternal Spring” along with its annual “Feria de las flores”

(Flower Festival).

With that said, “ten cuidado” (be careful) and use good judgment when visiting Colombia or any other country in Latin America.

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Salpicadura And Other Helpful Spanish Vocabulary Words

While dining in a restaurant here in Medellin, Colombia tonight, a Colombian friend used a word when her wine glass fell and splattered wine all over her new dress. No, the word that she used was NOT a “grosería” (swear word, curse word).

How To Say Stain In Spanish

The word she used is one that you may find helpful if you ever have to take some stained clothes to a “tintorería” (dry cleaner) or “lavanderia” (laundromat) while traveling or living in Latin America.

 







 

The word that I want to share with you is “salpicadura.” And a “salpicadura” is a stain that is caused by splattered or splashed liquid. Here are a couple of examples using “salpicadura.”

El vestido de ella está lleno de salpicaduras de vino.

(Her dress is full of splattered wine stains.)

Por no usar delantal mientras cocinaba el pescado frito su blusa quedó con salpicaduras de aceite. (For not using an apron while cooking the fried fish, her blouse is left with cooking oil stains).

I want you to know that both “delantal” and “mandil” mean the English word “apron.” However, in Colombia, I have only heard the word “delantal” used for apron and have never heard Colombians use the word “mandil” for apron. “Por ejemplo” (for example),

El carnicero se compró un delantal de plástico para no mancharse durante su trabajo. (The butcher bought himself an apron so that he doesn’t get any stains during work.)

By the way, a more generic Spanish word for the noun “stain” is “mancha.”

Tienes una mancha de grasa en la corbata.

You have a grease stain on your tie.

 

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Another Way To Say “Small” in Spanish

You probably already know that the Spanish word “pequeño” means ‘small’ in English. But there’s another way to express ‘smallness’ in Spanish.

Recently, while at the “gimnasio” (gym), I noticed something interesting. After finishing my workout, I decided to order a small bottle of water at the juice bar.

So I asked the “muchacha” working at the juice bar for “una botella de aqua” (bottle of water). As she reached for an oversized bottle of water, I said “la botella pequeña” (small bottle). But before she could grab it, I suddenly changed my mind and said, “No, un jugo pequeño, por favor” (no, a small juice, please).

The next person in line then requested “una botellita de aqua,” and then the next person ordered “un juguito.”

That’s when I realized how often Spanish speakers use ‘diminutives’ to indicate smallness. Spanish speakers frequently use diminutives not only to indicate size but also to make a word sound less harsh or even to indicate affection.

How To Say Small In Spanish

 

Below you will find a list ‘diminutives’ followed by nouns that are modified by the Spanish adjective “pequeno/a” (small).

1. botellita – botella pequeña

(small bottle)

2. relojito – reloj pequeño

(small watch)

3. bolsita – bolsa pequeña

(small bag)

4. bolsito – bolso pequeño

(small bag as in a woman’s carrying bag)

5. juguito – jugo pequeño

(small juice)

6. librito – libro pequeño

(small book)

7. hombrecito – hombre pequeño

(small man)

8. muñequita – muñeca pequeña

(small doll or small wrist)

It is also very common to hear native Spanish speakers use diminutives when taking about “cosas” (things) for “bebes.”

ropita (clothing for babies)

zapaticos (baby shoes)

teterito (baby’s bottle)

amiguitos (what children call their friends)

As I mentioned above, Spanish speakers frequently use diminutives not only to indicate size but also to make a word sound less harsh or to indicate affection. Here’s an example of using a diminutive to express affection:

Ella le dio un besito a su marido.

She gave her husband a kiss.

Now here’s an example of using a diminutive to make a word sound less harsh. A few days ago, here in Medellin, Colombia a “vagabunda” (homeless woman) — or as they say in Colombia “gamina” (homeless woman), tried to get my attention on the street to ask me for “una limosna” (a hand-out). In order to get my attention and not sound too harsh, she said “negrito, negrito” instead of “negro, negro.”

In Colombia, black Colombians do not consider it offensive to be called “negrito” or even “negro.” Since I am not Colombian, I did feel a bit offended. But I still gave her some “monedas” (change/coins).

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How To Say Sitting, Kneeling, Squatting, Bending Down and Standing In Spanish

Let’s talk about 5 (five) phrases that seem to confuse English speakers learning Spanish:

1. How to say sitting

2. How to say kneeling

3. How to say squatting

4. How to say bending down

5. How to say standing

The Spanish words for kneeling, squatting and bending down seem to be the three that give English speakers the most trouble.

1. How To Say Sitting In Spanish

It is a common MISTAKE for English speakers to say “estoy SENTANDO” as in “Estoy sentando esperando el bus.”

The correct phrase is “estoy SENTADO esperando el bus.” (I am sitting waiting for the bus. (Literally, I am ‘seated’ waiting for the bus.) Native English speakers have a tendency to make this mistake in Spanish because in English we use the progressive tense and say “I am SITTING waiting for the bus,” instead of “I am SEATED waiting for the bus.”

But a literal translation of what a Spanish speaker would say is “I am SEATED waiting for the bus.” (Estoy sentado esperando el bus.)

By the way, I know that many Spanish courses teach that the Spanish word “autobús” means the English word “bus.” But here in Colombia, and many other Spanish speaking countries, the Spanish word for “bus” is “bus.” Of course, you pronounce “bus” as if the vowel “u” is the Spanish vowel “u” and not the English vowel “u.” 2. How To Say Kneeling In Spanish

Avoid the English speaker’s common MISTAKE of using the progressive tense when saying “I am kneeling” by saying “Estoy arrodillando” (INCORRECT). The correct phrase is, “Estoy arrodillado” which literally means, “I am KNEELED.”

Se arrodillaron frente a la imagen religiosa. They knelt before the religious image.

3. How To Say Squatting In Spanish

Estoy en cuclillas.

I am squatting.

Usted está en cuclillas.

You are squatting.

And if you are referring to the weight- lifting exercise, the word for “squats” is “sentadillas.”

¿Cuántas sentadillas debes hacer?

How many squats should you do?

4. How To Say Bending Down In Spanish

agachar – to bend down

Se agachó para recoger las monedas.

He bent down to gather the coins.

5. How To Say Standing In Spanish

There are two words/phrases that are commonly used in order to say “standing:”

a. de pie

b. parado/a

Estoy de pie.

I am standing.

Estoy parado.

I am standing.

By the way, the verb for “to stand up” is “pararse.”

Todos los niños se pararon y dijeron “buenos días maestra”. (All the children stood up and said, “Good morning,

Teacher.”)

However, if you are talking about “to stand up” as in ‘not to show up for a date,’ the phrase that you must use is “dejar plantado.”

Anoche no salimos al cine porque ella me dejó plantado. (Last night we did not go out to the movies because she stood me up).

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2 Mistakes English Speakers Make When Speaking Spanish

Today I want to talk about 2 Mistakes English Speakers Make When Speaking Spanish.

Before moving to Medellin, I lived on the Atlantic or Caribbean coast of Colombia in a city called Barranquilla.

One night while in a movie theater and waiting for the movie to begin an American man was speaking on his cell phone in Spanish.

How did I know that the man was an American?

Well I didn’t know with absolute certainty that he was American. But from his Spanish grammar and his accent when speaking Spanish, there was no doubt in my mind that he was either an American or that he was from some other English speaking country.

What was it about his grammar and accent that made me so sure? Dos cosas.

Número Uno:

Native English speakers tend to use the Spanish word “a” – which means “at” in English – when a native Spanish speaker would use the word “en.”

While the gentleman was talking on his cell phone, I heard him say:

“Estoy al cine,” which literally means “I am AT the movie theatre.” But native Spanish speakers do NOT speak that way. They would say “Estoy en el cine,” (I am IN the movie theatre).

Some native English speakers may prefer to say” I am IN the movie theatre.” Others may prefer to say “I am AT the movie theatre.” You have a choice of which one to say in conversational English. But not in Spanish. When you are talking about your location as opposed to your destination, you have to use “en” in Spanish. Here are some examples:

Estoy en el cine.

Estoy en la casa.

Estoy en la tienda.

I did say that I knew he was an American by his accent as well. What was it about his accent that screamed GRINGO?

Número Dos:

He did something that I never noticed before that native English speakers have a tendency to do when speaking Spanish. He repeatedly left out an “e” sound where there should have been an “e” sound in Spanish.

Spanish speakers learning English do the exact opposite. They put an “e” sound where no “e” sound belongs.

Let me give you an example that many of my Spanish speaking friends make when speaking English.

They tend to say phrases that sound like “I speak espanish” or “I am especial.” They put an “e” sound where one does not belong.

The “caballero” (gentleman) conversing on his cell phone did the complete opposite: He failed to put an “e” sound where it belongs in Spanish.

When speaking Spanish he said words that sounded like “spañol” and “specialimente.”

It may sound minor to you. But I would not be surprised if he paid more for his taxi ride home because he told the cab driver “Yo hablo spañol” instead of “Yo hablo español.”

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How To Say To Quit in Spanish

One common mistake that I have heard English speakers make when speaking Spanish is to use the wrong verb when saying that a person quit something, such as quitting a job or quitting a bad habit. For example,

 

How To Say I Quit My Job in Spanish

 

Yo quité me trabajo.

That is NOT the correct way to say “I quit my job.” In Spanish, when talking about “quitting”

a job you do not use the verb “quitar.”

You must use the verb “renunciar.”

Yo renuncié a mi trabajo.

(I quit my job.)

Ella renució a su trabajo ayer.

(She quit her job yesterday.)

 

How To Say To Quit Smoking in Spanish

 

Another similar and common mistake is to use the verb “parar” when talking about stopping a bad habit or quitting a bad habit such as smoking.

Although the verb “parar” does mean to stop, when talking about stopping a bad habit or quitting a bad habit, Spanish uses the verb “dejar de.” If you are talking about stopping something that is not a bad habit, such as stop talking or stop dancing, then you can use either “dejar de” or “parar de.”

Quiero dejar de fumar.

I want to quit smoking.

Juanita no quiere parar de bailar.

Juanita does not want to stop dancing.

Sergio no para de hablar.

Sergio does not stop talking.

The post How To Say To Quit in Spanish appeared first on Learning Spanish Like Crazy.

How To Say “To Leave” In Spanish

Let’s talk about how to say “to leave” in Spanish. The Spanish language actually has several ways to say “to leave.”

 

How To Say To Leave Something or Someone Behind In Spanish

 

There is a verb that means “to leave someone or something behind.” And that verbs is “dejar.”

Por ejemplo:

1. Déjeme en la esquina señor.

Leave me at the corner sir.

A phrase I used last night when speaking to a cab driver here in Medellin, Colombia.

2. ¿Puede dejarme aquí?

(Can you leave me here?)

3. Dejamos la pluma en el escritorio.

We left the pen on the desk.

You can also use the verb “dejar” to mean “to quit.”

1. Mañana ella deja de fumar.

Tomorrow she quits smoking.

 

How To Say To Leave In Spanish

 

There are three verbs in Spanish that mean “to leave” or “to go out.”

Those three verbs are “irse,” “salir,” and “marcharse.”

Por ejemplo:

1. ¿Te vas? (Are you leaving?)

2. Me voy. (I am leaving.)

3. Salí de la oficina temprano.

(I left the office early)

4. El bus sale pronto.

(The bus leaves soon.)

5. Cuando vio que la situación

se complicaba, decidió marcharse.

(When he saw that the situation was

worsening, he decided to go.)

Be careful not to confuse the Spanish verbs “marcharse” and “marchar.” The reflexive verb “marcharse” means to leave, to go or to depart. But “marchar” means “to march.”

Los soldados marchan a paso ligero.

The soldiers march at a quick pace.

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