Mi vida loca

8
Sep
2008

I’m a helpless internet addict and as a teacher I’m always looking for alternatives to supplement my classes. While surfing the web, I came across this course, by BBC Online, called Mi Vida Loca. It’s a mystery series and it has tons of audio, video and explanations both in English and in Spanish. There are 22 episodes (it takes about 15 minutes to complete each one) and it’s a lot of fun! There are grammar, vocabulary and listening exercises. Check it out at http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/mividaloca.
Hope you like it!

Nos vemos prontito!


By adir ferreira | Posted in Culture, Entertainment, Grammar, Language, Links, Pronunciation, Vocabulary | Comments (1)

Ask away!

5
Sep
2008

“Ask” has several meanings in Spanish. They’re not interchangeable, and there are some subtle differences in meaning.

Preguntar - “to ask a question” or “to ask about” something.

  • Preguntó por ti en la fiesta. - He asked about you at the party.
  • Pregunté si habían estudiado para la prueba. - I asked if they had studied for the test.

Pedir - used to indicate a direct request or to ask for something.

  • Pidió un libro de español. - She asked for a Spanish book.
  • Me pidió dinero pero le dije que no tenía un centavo. - He asked me for money but I told him I didn’t have a penny.

Rogar - to make a formal request, or also to beg or to pray.

  • Se ruega a los clientes que tomen las precauciones oportunas para salvaguardar sus pertenencias. Customers are asked to take appropriate precautions in order to protect their belongings.
  • Fuimos a la iglesia para rogar. - We went to the church to pray.

Invitar - can be used when asking someone out to do something or go somewhere.

  • Te invito a mi casa a echarnos un trago. - Come to my house to have a drink.

Solicitar - used with certain types of requests, such as for information, or in business or legal contexts.

  • Solicitan amnistía para el ex presidente. - They are requesting an amnesty for the former president.

See you next time!


By adir ferreira | Posted in Language, Vocabulary | Comments (2)

Yo soy Betty, la Fea

2
Sep
2008

Yo soy Betty, la fea is the most successful telenovela in Colombia. It was written by Fernando Gaitán and produced by RCN Televisión between 1999 and 2001.

The main character is Beatriz Aurora Pinzón Solano, who is not a very attractive woman but is incredibly intelligent and works for a fashion company called “Eco Moda”. Betty, as she’s so kindly called, has to put up with insults from her co-workers, especially from the secretary, Patricia Fernández, the designer Hugo Lombardi and Marcela Valencia, who happens to be the boss’s fiancée.

The telenovela starts off with Betty going to a job interview.  After she’s finally hired her problems begin. It’s full of comedy and very dramatic moments and a good chance to check out the Colombian accent. Check out the first episode totally in Spanish on Youtube, which is a good exercise for listening comprehension.

Part 1 - http://youtube.com/watch?v=FFLcQIm69V0

Part 2 - http://youtube.com/watch?v=wvzajCe2HvA&feature=related

Part 3 - http://youtube.com/watch?v=inTA_yCKIcY&feature=related

Part 4 - http://youtube.com/watch?v=a0cE33Ogzsg&feature=related

Part 5 - http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ktac1S_8Tec&feature=related

Nos vemos prontito!


By adir ferreira | Posted in Culture, Entertainment, Pronunciation | Comments (0)

Animal sounds

28
Aug
2008

Our post today comes from a question from a student of mine, a 12-year-old girl, about sounds animals make in Spanish. I decided to look into it, and here’s a small list with the sound and the corresponding verb, check it out!

abeja (bee): bzzz (zumbar)

burro (donkey): iii-aah (rebuznar)

caballo (horse): jiiiiiii, iiiiou (relinchar)

cerdo (pig): oink-oink, oinc-oinc (gruñir) — oink

gallina (hen): coc co co coc (cacarear)

gallo (rooster): kikirikí (cantar)

gato (cat): miau (maullar)

león (lion): grrrr, grgrgr (rugir)

oveja (sheep): bee, mee (balar)

mono (monkey): i-i-i

paloma (dove): cu-curru-cu-cú (arrullar)

pato (duck): cuac cuac, cua cua

pavo (turkey): gluglú

perro (dog): guau guau (ladrar)

pollito (chick): pío pío

rana (frog): cruá cruá, (croar)

vaca (cow): mu, muuu (mugir)

See you next time!


By adir ferreira | Posted in Culture, Entertainment, Language | Comments (0)

Palindromes

25
Aug
2008

A palindrome is a word, line, verse, number, sentence, etc., that can be read the same backward as forward, like Madam, I’m Adam or Poor Dan is in a droop. The word palindrome comes from the Greek roots palin (πάλιν; “back”) and dromos (δρóμος; “way, direction”) and it was coined by the English writer Ben Johnson in the 1600s. Here are some Spanish palindromes:

¿Acaso hubo búhos acá?

Allí si María avisa y así va a ir a mi silla.

Anita lava la tina. (very popular in Mexico)

Átale, demoníaco Caín, o me delata. (Julio Cortázar)

Dábale arroz a la zorra el abad. (one of the most popular)

La ruta nos aportó otro paso natural.

Do you know other palindromes in Spanish? Post them here!

See you next time!


By adir ferreira | Posted in Culture, Entertainment, Language | Comments (2)

El Chavo del Ocho - Fue sin querer queriendo…

21
Aug
2008

El Chavo del Ocho (The Kid from Apartment #8) is a Mexican TV show about an orphan kid who lives in a barrel (#8) and other inhabitants of a typical Mexican condominium/apartment building, una vecindad. The show started in 1970 in Channel 8 but then moved on to Televisa and it was cancelled in 1980. El Chavo del Ocho has been a smash hit in Latin America and Spain and it has had over 350 million viewers worldwide. The characters of El Chavo, Kiko, La Chilindrina, Doña Clotilde, Don Ramón and Profesor Jirafales still remain in the minds and hearts of Latin American people. Due to the frequent use of Mexican idiomatic language it has not been translated to many languages; however, the Portuguese-version of El Chavo, Chaves, is still broadcast in Brazil and it is so popular that a couple of grad students did their Masters dissertation on El Chavo del Ocho and its influence on Brazilian pop culture.

Have a look at a video from the first episode of El Chavo:
Nos vemos prontito.


By adir ferreira | Posted in Culture, Entertainment | Comments (3)

The future… the future?

18
Aug
2008

Let’s talk a bit about the future in Spanish. There are two basic forms: the first one is a specific verb conjugation called the simple future (futuro simple). For example, the verb estar (estaré, estarás, estará, estaremos, estaréis, estarán) in the simple future tense is equivalent in English to the form “will” (I will be, you will be, etc.).

The second type of future is made up of the phrase ir a (where the verb ir is conjugated) and the main verb in infinitive: voy a estar, vas a ir, etc. This form is equivalent to the English “to be going to” (I’m going to be, you’re going to go, etc.

The future can also be used as a command. When we were kids our mothers would say: “You will wash your hands before eating!” with a strong emphasis on the “will”. In this sentence will is being used not only to express the future, but also as a clear order. The same structure occurs in Spanish: ¡Te lavarás las manos antes de comer!

In addition, the conjugated future form in Spanish can also express probability or likelihood. Take a look at these examples:

  • María todavía no ha llegado. Estará en el trabajo. (María hasn’t arrived yet. She must be at work.)
  • ¿Qué hora es? Serán las dos. (What time is it? It must be two o’clock.)
  • Pedro ha trabajado mucho. Estará cansado. (Pedro has worked a lot. He must be tired.)
  • Estoy confundido. ¿Me amará María? (I’m confused. I wonder if María loves me.)

There is also a quaint idiomatic expression that uses ser in the future tense to emphatically express a person’s negative attributes.

  • ¡Serás maleducado! (You’re so rude!)
  • ¡Será cabrón! (He’s such a jerk!)

See you next time!


By adir ferreira | Posted in Grammar, Language | Comments (6)

Reguetón

14
Aug
2008

You’ve probably heard of reguetón, right? Reguetón “was born” in Puerto Rico about 10 years ago and it’s a blend of rap, hip hop, and reggae. In this post I’m bringing an all-Spanish text talking about reguetón. You also have the most difficult words translated to help you understand it. If you have questions, post them here.

EL REGUETÓN

El reguetón es un nuevo estilo de música latina bailable que nació en Puerto Rico hace aproximadamente 10 años. Es una mezcla de rap, hip hop y reggae, y tiene influencia de ritmos típicamente puertorriqueños como la bomba y la plena. Es un ritmo muy pegajoso y popular con la juventud hispana también en Estados Unidos.

Las letras traen críticas sociales, exponen la realidad de las calles y también hablan del amor y la pasión. El reguetón también promueve un estilo de vestimenta, con mahones de piernas anchas, camisetas tropicales en tamaños grandes; en algunos también llevan tatuajes.

En la actualidad, Tego Calderón, Daddy Yankee, Ivy Queen, Nikky Jam, Wisin y Yandel son algunos de los más importantes exponentes del reguetón en Latinoamérica.

Vocabulary

Bailable – danceable

Mezcla – blend, mix

La bomba y la plena – typical Puerto Rican rhythms

Pegajoso – clingy

Juventud – youth

Letras – lyrics

Exponente – representative

Calles – streets

Promueve – promotes

Vestimenta – clothing

Mahones de piernas anchas – loose-fitting jeans

Tatuaje – tattoo

Check out this reguetón video with Wisin and Yandel featuring Spanish singer David Bisbal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMOd9oOAfvw&feature=related!

See you next time!


By adir ferreira | Posted in Culture, Entertainment | Comments (0)

Expressions with Take

11
Aug
2008

Whenever I teach my students vocabulary, I always tell them to take notes using real and meaningful examples and to learn fixed expressions. Let’s take for example the verb “to take”. If we look it up in an English-Spanish dictionary, dozens of entries will crop up and if we´re not very familiar with the language yet we won´t know what to choose, right? Right! So, learning fixed phrases is the way to go, people! Let´s check out some expressions with the verb “to take”.

1. tomar - Tomó el cuaderno y fue a estudiar. (He took the notebook and went to study.)

2. llevar - Le llevo el libro a mi hermana. – (I’m taking the book to my sister.) / Llevó a su esposa al aeropuerto. (He took his wife to the airport.)

3. coger - Cogieron las maletas en el hotel. (They took the luggage in the hotel.). NB: The verb coger also has a sexual connotation in some Latin American countries.

4. arrebatar - ¿Te arrebató el sombrero? (Did he take your hat?)

5. robar, quitar - A Laura le robaron mucho dinero. (They took a lot of money from Laura.)

6. aceptar – No quisieron aceptar su cheque. (They didn’t want to take her check.)

7. coger, tomar, ir en - Tomaré un taxi. (I will take a taxi.)

8. necesitar, requerir, hacer falta - Hace falta mucho coraje para hacer eso. (It takes a lot of courage to do that.)

10. durar - La película no durará mucho. (The movie won’t take long.)

11. estudiar - Estudio psicología. (I’m taking psychology.)

12. to take a bath (shower) - bañarse (ducharse) - Los hijos de María siempre se bañan en la tarde. (María’s children always take a shower in the afternoon.)

13. to take a break, to take a rest - tomarse un descanso, descansar - Vamos a tomarnos un descanso a las tres. (We’re going to take a break at 3.)

14. to take after – 1. perseguir - El policía persiguió el ladrón. (The policeman took after the thief.) 2. parecerse – Juan se parece a su papá. (Juan takes after his dad.)

15. to take apart - desmontar - Desmontó el equipo de sonido. (He took the stereo apart.)


By adir ferreira | Posted in Language, Vocabulary | Comments (0)

Manolito Gafotas

7
Aug
2008

Have you ever heard of Manolito Gafotas? Manolito is a series of kids’ books written by Spanish author Elvira Lindo. They tell the story of Manolito in the district of Carabanchel, in Madrid. Manolito is a common kid and his stories are written with lots of humor and tenderness. These stories started on the radio, then became books, and were eventually adapted as movies and a TV series. It’s a good read and I highly recommend it. Here’s a link to one of the stories, Manolito tiene un secreto (Manolito has a secret), (http://www.literaturas.com/02infantiljuvenilelviralindo2002.htm), check it out, you won’t regret it! You can also buy his books and DVDs in the USA. Post your comments and tell us what you think!

Nos vemos prontito.


By adir ferreira | Posted in Culture, Entertainment, Literature | Comments (10)