Nina Schmidt ~ Vancouver German and Spanish Lessons

Tag: Spanish

  • Grammar Tips: Ser vs. Estar

    Grammar Tips: Ser vs. Estar

    emotions

    Spanish is unique in that it has two verbs which mean ‘to be’. One must memorize which one to use for each situation. The verb ser describes the essence of something.  Although everything changes with time, ser is used to describe qualities that do not normally change overnight. The verb estar is mainly concerned with location and temporary states of being.  It also functions as an auxiliary verb in Spanish.

    Sometimes both verbs are correct, with a different meaning:

    Estoy feliz. = I am happy (now).

    Soy feliz.     = I am happy (generally).

    Ser

    1.  States nationality and origin

    2.  Used for profession including students

    3.  Describes personality

    4.  Describes characteristic appearance

    5.  Used for materials ‘made of’

    6.  Used as an identifier

    7.  Used to show relationships

    8.  Used to identify possession

    9.  Used with date and time

    10.  Used to explain where events take place

    11.  Used for generalizations

    Estar

    1.  Expresses temporary conditions and emotions

    2.  Used for location

    3.  Used for impressions, sensory reactions

    4.  Used as an auxiliary verb with the gerund

    5.  Used to express results of actions

     Other Ways to Express ‘to Be’

    1. Tener is used in certain expressions ie. tengo hambre

    2. Hay expresses ‘there is/are.’

    3. Hacer is used to describe the weather.

    Ser and Estar Practice

    Paco and Rosa are friends who have run into each other on the street.  Please read the dialogue and give the reason for each use of ser and estar.

    Paco: ¿Cómo estás (1)?

    Rosa: Bien. ¿Qué haces hoy?

    Paco: Tengo mi clase de inglés.

    Rosa: ¿Cuándo?

    Paco:  La clase es (2) a las tres.

    Rosa: ¿De dónde es (3) tu profesor?

    Paco:  De Inglaterra.

    Rosa:  ¿Dónde es (4) la clase?

    Paco:  Es en mi oficina.

    Rosa:  ¿Estámos (5) cerca de tu oficina?

    Paco:  No, pero tengo un auto hoy.

    Rosa: ¿Es (6) nuevo?

    Paco:  Sí. Es nuevo, negro y caro.

    Rosa: ¿Es (7) tu auto?

    Paco:  No, es de mi esposa. Mi auto está (8) roto (broken). Mi mecánico está (9) reparando el auto ahora.

    Rosa: ¡Qué horrible! Los mecánicos son (10) todos muy caros.

     

     

     

  • Grammar Tips: Spanish Compound Nouns

    1112637_coconut_2Spanish and English generally do not create compound nouns in the same way. Examples of compound nouns in English include: open-heart, breakwater, basketball.  English features adjective + noun (blackboard), verb + noun (breakwater) or noun + noun (football) combinations. English also frequently hyphenates words. The Spanish language has few hyphenated words as generally they are only used in cases of adjective + adjective or noun + noun combinations in which both elements are of equal importance, as in relaciones sino-estadounidenses (Chinese-US relations).

    To avoid the use of hyphens, Spanish often uses phrases in place of single words, such tigre que come hombres (man-eating tiger). For the majority of its translations for the equivalent of English compound nouns, Spanish relies on the preposition ‘de’ to function as a bridge between words, such as the following word for iceberg: la montaña de hielo (que flota en los mares del norte) =  the mountain of ice (that floats in the seas of the North).

    Specially constructed compound nouns

    An interesting subcategory of compound nouns in Spanish exists in which the third person singular of the present tense of the verb  is coupled with a plural noun. These nouns are nearly always masculine in gender and form the plural by simply changing the article. As in the word for can opener, singular: el abrelatas,  plural: los abrelatas. Some of these specially designed compounds are for items around the house, tools and parts of the car while others are more figurative and even humorous. Here is a sampling:

    abrelatas — can opener (it opens cans)

    calentalibros — bookworm (he/she warms books)

    comecocos — something that confuses or brainwashes (it eats coconuts)

    cuidaniños — babysitter (he/she cares for children)

    cumpleaños — birthday (it fulfills years)

    espantapájaros — scarecrow (it scares birds)

    lavaplatos — dishwasher (it washes dishes)

    matafuegos — fire extinguisher (it kills fires)

    matasanos — medical quack (he/she kills healthy people)

    parabrisas — windshield (it stops breezes)

    parachoques — bumper (it stops crashes)

    paraguas* — umbrella (it stops water) *the extra ‘a’ has been dropped

    picapleitos — shyster lawyer (he/she encourages lawsuits)

    quitamotas — flatterer (he/she removes defects)

    quitasol — sunshade (it removes the sun)

    rascacielos — skyscraper (it scratches skies)

    rompecabezas — puzzle (it breaks heads)

    salvavidas — lifeguard, various safety devices (it saves lives)

    tragamonedas — slot machine, vending machine (it swallows coins)

     

     

     

  • Book Review: Found in Translation

    Book Review: Found in Translation

    Online translation service conceptAs a Spanish and German language instructor I am sometimes asked to do translation work. However, I am not qualified as a translator or interpreter and must carefully explain this to my clients. They are sometimes confused as they don’t understand why if someone can speak two languages they cannot simply translate between them. The answer to this question is explained in the wonderfully written Found in Translation co-authored by Nataly Kelly, a Spanish-English translator and Jost Zetzsche a German-English interpreter.

    What most people do not understand is that to become a translator or interpreter one must understand all the varied nuances between two languages so as not to commit any mistakes. Training takes many years of both schooling and “living the language.” Found in Translation is full of anecdotes of what can happen when an unqualified person attempts to translate or interpret.

    When I first started learning Spanish 17 years ago I remember coming across words which seemed to be the same in both languages but in fact had very different meanings. Anyone who has studied a language has found themselves on the wrong side of these “false friends.” Kelly details one such example in Chapter 1 in a side note titled Embarrassed to be Embarazada. I always get a good chuckle from my beginner Spanish students when I explain that the Spanish expression “estoy embarazada” has very little to do with being embarrassed but rather being pregnant!

    I particularly enjoyed chapter 5, Partaking in Pleasures and Delighting the Senses in Translation. One part of this chapter gives hilarious examples of when companies get international brand names very wrong; so wrong that they are unsellable in English-speaking countries. Some examples given include the following: a Polish juice named Fart, a sports drink in the Czech Republic named Erektus, and a soft drink from Ghana called Pee Cola. For your eating pleasure you will find the Chinese snack food Only Puke, Prick, a Brazilian potato chips brand and Shitto which is apparently the name given to a spicy pepper sauce. I think it’s fair to say that these companies did not invest in proper translation!

    An overarching theme of the book is how translators and interpreters often go unnoticed and underappreciated. Even I was surprised at many of the ways translation affects our everyday life without us even being aware of it. Translation is crucial for healthcare, the justice system, scientific advancements, politics and even love stories to reach their potential. I have heard Nataly Kelly speak on one of my favorite language podcasts PRI’s The World in Words where she very eloquently explained how she has a brief window into a very intimate moment in a person’s life and then she is gone often without knowing the outcome. This rang especially true when she described her experiences interpreting 911 calls.

    In sum, Found in Translation is a wonderful read that can be enjoyed by language service professionals, students of language or just those curious about this profession. The book contains an extensive notes section with excellent resources for those in the interpreting and translation fields as well as an extensive index to cross reference specific interests.

     

     

  • Further Learning: Interesting Facts about the Spanish Language

    Further Learning: Interesting Facts about the Spanish Language

    Windmills and castle of Consuegra. Spain

    It’s always an advantage when learning a new language to know a bit about its history and relevance in the modern world. Here are some interesting facts about the Spanish language:

    1. Spanish and English are roughly tied for second place after Mandarin for the number of native speakers in the world at around 335-340 million individuals. Spanish accomplishes this in roughly half the number of countries as English, with 21 versus 42 in which Spanish and English are the official or co-official language.
    2. The mother language of Spanish, and indeed all Romance languages, (i.e. Italian, Romanian, Spanish, Catalan) is Latin. Modern Spanish formed in the late 14th century in the region of Spain known as Castile. It is for this reason that Spanish may also be referred to as castellano.
    3. Spanish has undergone far less changes than English in last 500 years. Therefore, fluent speakers of modern Spanish have little trouble reading the literature of Cervantes. Cervantes was the author of Don Quixote, arguably the first modern novel, and a contemporary of Shakespeare. English readers on the other hand generally need footnotes to interpret works by Shakespeare.
    4. As English and Spanish are both Indo-European languages with a strong influence from Latin they share a lot of similar vocabulary allowing English speakers to learn Spanish with relative ease. Some of the largest differences between the two languages include: the existence of gender in Spanish for all nouns, Spanish having a more expansive number of verb tenses and the relatively common use of the subjunctive mood in the Spanish language.
    5. While English has borrowed words in from numerous languages around the world it is Arabic that has had the greatest influence on Spanish, aside from Latin. Roughly 3000-4000 words have made their way into the Spanish language. Most of this occurred during the years between 711-1492 when Arabic people were in control of the greater part of the Iberian Peninsula, home to the countries of Portugal and Spain. Some of these words have also filtered down into the English language. For example, the Spanish word for cotton is algodón. Once you know that ‘al’ represents the word for ‘the’ in Arabic and isolate ‘godón’ you can start to see the connection to the word ‘cotton.’
    6. While Spanish is originally from Spain, the number of native speakers in Latin America is now roughly 3 times that of modern-day Spain.  Minor differences between the languages are found in vocabulary and idiomatic expressions but there are also some major differences. First off, most speakers of Spain speak with a lisp forming the sound of ‘th’ when pronouncing the letter ‘z’ and the letter combinations ‘ce’ and ‘ci.’ (Much less commonly, some regions also lisp the letter ‘s’). Secondly, speakers in Spain distinguish between informality and formality when addressing more than one person at a time by using vosotros for informal “you all” and ustedes for the formal. In Latin America, the latter is used for both.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Grammar Tips: Special Expressions with ‘to have’

    Certain common expressions in both Spanish and German use the verb ‘to have’. Below is a list of common expressions in which Spanish and German function in this manner. As these expressions do not always translate literally into English, they are best memorized.

    Spanish expressions with the verb ‘tener’

    1. To ask how old someone is you say:

    ¿Cuántos años tienes?                      – ->  How many years do you have?

    Tengo 20 años.                                   – -> I have 20 years.

    2. To talk about pain in the body you say:

    ¿Tienes dolor de cabeza?                – -> Do you have pain of head?

    3. To talk about sensations:

    ¿Tienes frío/hambre?                      – -> Do you have cold/hunger?

    4. Idiomatic expressions:

    tener miedo de . . . . . .                    – -> to have fear of . . . . . .

    tener interés en . . . . . .                 – -> to have interest in . . . . . .

    tener ganas de . . . . . .                    – -> to feel like  . . . . . .

    tener razón                                       – -> to be correct

    tener prisa                                        – -> to be in a hurry

    tener celos                                        – -> to be jealous

    tener éxito                                        – -> to be successful

    tener suerte                                      – -> to be lucky

    tener lugar                                       – -> to take place

    tener  que                                          – -> to have to

    German expressions with the verb ‘haben’

    1. To talk about pain in the body you say:

    ¿Hast du Kopfschmerzen?           – -> Do you have a headache?

    2. To talk about sensations:

    ¿Hast du Hunger/Durst?             – -> Do you have hunger/thirst?

    3. Idiomatic expressions:

    haben Angst vor . . . . . .                – -> to have fear of . . . . . .

    haben Lust auf . . . . . .                   – -> to feel like  . . . . . .

    haben Interesse an . . . . . .          – -> to have interest in . . . . . .

    Recht haben                                     – -> to be correct

    Eile haben                                         – -> to be in a hurry

    Heimweh haben                             – -> to be homesick

    Glück haben                                     – -> to be lucky

     

  • Further Learning: Memory Aids for Language Learning Part II

    This is part two of a two-part blog on memory aids for language learning. In the first blog (written November 21,2012) I covered subconscious memory aids such as employing colors, smells and music to expand the power of your mind to recover information. Here, in the second part, I will focus on consciously developed techniques such as: mnemonics, the memory palace, labeling and intermittent review.

    Mnemonics

    Mnemonics is a well-known system designed to help people remember. It may consist of acronyms, images and linking words. How many of you remember learning the colours of the rainbow in elementary school with the acronym ROY-G-BIV? (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). A funny example from my first-year Spanish course at University was how to remember the word for swimming pool in Spanish.  The word is spelled piscina and it is pronounced (pis-I-na). My professor said it’s easy to remember as young children often “piss in a {pool}!”  I have developed quite a few acronyms for German. For example,  I use DOG-WUF to help my students remember the accusative prepositions: durch, ohne, gegen, wider, für and um. Students can even invent their own mnemonic devices often with great success.

    Memory palace

    Another trick that works for some people is called a memory palace. This technique allows people to memorize something by picturing a scene in their minds and then linking specific words to the images. For example, you might picture a family photo you are familiar with and then go in and imagine everyone wearing a piece of clothing bearing the name of their relationship to you in the target language. For example, your grandmother may be wearing a shirt with an “Oma” logo on the front. Some people develop this technique further and imagine themselves walking through various scenes in a story with each scene providing new clues to words they wish to remember.

    Labeling

    Sometimes,  simply labelling items around the house helps. You can buy predesigned labels online or make your own. When studying a gendered language, it’s important to include each noun’s gender on the label. This is a great way to build vocabulary for items around the home especially in the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Some people even label their office or classroom environment. Try to engage the labels by creating sentences in your mind as you go about your daily tasks.

    Intermittent Review

    Sometimes frustrations arise when you see or hear a word you know you’ve encountered before but simply can’t remember what it means! This is often true of words that don’t appear frequently in common conversation. It’s important to write down any words you have trouble with on a special page in your binder or notebook titled “troublesome words.” This page should be reviewed every time you go to study. In general, any new vocabulary you learn should be revisited within 24 hours, then again in three days, a week and finally a month. Studies have shown that students who follow this review pattern have upwards of a 90% retention rate for newly learned vocabulary.

    Have you had success with any of the above memory aids or any others? Feel free to share below.

  • Travel Spot: Balearic Islands

    Travel Spot: Balearic Islands

    The Balearic Islands, or Las islas Baleares, are found off the eastern coast of mainland Spain. The three main islands are: Minorca, Mallorca and Ibiza. Taken together, this archipelago of islands is a province of Spain with Palma, Mallorca as its capital. Spanish and Catalan are the two official languages but German and English are widely spoken, as the islands are extremely popular with foreign tourists. With a total land mass just under 500,000 km² the islands have a year-round local population of around 1 million. However, millions of people from throughout Europe visit the islands all year round due to its warm temperate climate and beautiful beaches. Short, direct flights fly in and out of Palma to most European capitals every day and package deals make it a very affordable place to visit.

    The main island of Mallorca boasts a long history in which it changed hands many times, at turns being under the control of the Byzantines, Romans, Vandals and Arabs. One can still see the Arabic influence in many of the buildings in the capital city of Palma especially the main downtown cathedral, featured above. With beautiful cobbled streets and an abundance of world-class shopping and restaurants, Palma is a beautiful place to visit. Owing to its varied history, the islands have developed unique dishes. For more information on local cuisine click here. 

    Ibeza, the southernmost of the large islands is popular with partygoers, especially fans of electronic music. Since 2005, it has been host to the popular music event Ibeza Rocks drawing large numbers of musicians and bands from around the world. Minorca, the northernmost large island of the archipelago, is the most traditional of the islands. Its inhabitants still observe ancient holiday festivals throughout the summer season. A popular treat, the flaon, is found in bakeries throughout the island. These are a circular pastry often sweetened with honey especially popular around Easter time.

     

     

  • Further Learning: Memory Aids for Language Learning Part I

    Further Learning: Memory Aids for Language Learning Part I

    The ability to memorize is crucial to learning a language as an adult. Unfortunately, some students give up, claiming they simply can’t learn because they have a “bad memory.” In reality, healthy people are born with similar potential but not everyone has the skills or techniques to maximize their memory capacity. As everyone learns differently, trying out a few of the techniques outlined below is best, as the first one you try may not be right for you.  In this blog, I will focus on subconscious memory aids including: colors, smells and music. Part II will focus on consciously developed techniques such as: mnemonics, the memory palace technique, labeling and intermittent review.

    Colors

    Colors can be extremely useful in helping your brain store information. For example, you may wish to designate a certain color such as red to all the feminine nouns in your target language. Then, when you go to recall that noun, its gender will come to you automatically as you will picture it in that context. Not only gender can be memorized like this, you can also use varying colors of ink or paper for verb conjugations or case systems such as those found in German.

    Smells

    This is a great technique for high school and university students who need to remember a lot of information come exam time. Choose a scent you easily associate with a specific language. For example, perhaps you associate lemons with Spanish as it has a tropical undertone. Then, every time you go to study Spanish, cut open a fresh lemon and allow the smell to permeate the air. Then, before heading into your exam rub some lemon scent on the inside of your wrist. While you are in the exam, smell this periodically when you are struggling, close your eyes and the information will come flooding back! This also works with essential oils and perfumes for those who are not fragrance sensitive.

    Music and other audio

    Some people need absolute quiet to study, but most of us actually benefit from background noise. Personally, I found listening to Latin music extremely helpful in my early studies of Spanish. It put me in an upbeat mood and opened my mind to the possibility that one day I would understand all the lyrics if I kept at my studies. I began playing specific artists while studying specific themes. For example, salsa beats for verb conjugations. Soon enough I was conjugating along to the beat of the music! Other audio, such as dialogues in the target language or vocabulary tracks, can also help you immensely in learning a new language.  Even if you are not actively repeating what they are saying,  consistent exposure enables the student to get a feel for the pronunciation and rhythm of the language.

    If you have had success with any of the above techniques or others please share by posting a comment here or on my Facebook page (link below).

     

     

     

  • Cultural Corner: Day of the Dead

    Cultural Corner: Day of the Dead

     

    Unknown-4

    The Day of the Dead or El día de los muertos is a Mexican national holiday celebrated every year on the first two days of November. On these dates Mexicans remember family members and friends who have passed away.  Modern practices are a blend of pre-Columbian beliefs and the Catholic observance of All Souls’ Day. While the Day of the Dead is also observed in other Hispanic countries, here we will focus on Mexican traditions.

    In Mexican culture, death is accepted as part of life. The Day of the Dead is seen as not only a chance to reconnect with lost loved ones, but also for the living to make fun of death and celebrate having lived through another year. Rather than a somber tone, this holiday has the air of a celebration with people telling humorous anecdotes about the deceased and perhaps even singing or reciting their favorite songs, poems or jokes.

    Commonly, families go together to cemeteries to visit with the souls of the departed. Upon arrival, they clean the grave and build altars on the tombs or tumbas. This altar includes many offerings or ofrendas such as the favourite foods and beverages of the deceased, family photos, votive candles, incense or copal and flowers, particularly Mexican marigolds. In the case of children, small toys and candies are given. The hope is that these items will attract the missing souls back for a short time so that they may enjoy time with them once again. In some areas of Mexico, people even spend the night at the cemetery and set out an extra pillow and blanket for the departed.

    Alters are also commonly built in people’s homes, schools and workplaces.  Symbols of Christianity, such as the cross or photos of the Virgin Mary, are also sometimes incorporated. Families spend weeks every year constructing these colourful alters, to view some click here. The most common symbol of the Day of the Dead is the skull. Bakeries compete to see who can make the most popular pure sugar treat in the shape of a small skull called a calaverita. Symbols associated with the Day of the Dead are present in Mexican culture throughout the year as they are seen to bring good luck. Similar celebrations are found in other countries of Latin America, and even within Mexico there are regional differences in customs of observance. For ideas on how to celebrate El día de los muertos in Vancouver check out this link. 

  • Grammar Tips: Muy vs. Mucho and Bueno vs. Bien


    Many students struggle with the differences between muy/mucho and bueno/bien.  At least part of the blame lies in English, as its speakers have come to use adjectives as adverbs in everyday speech. For example:

    Question:  “How are you?”                                  Answer:    “I’m good, thanks.”

    When asking how someone is doing you are asking for their state of being. Therefore an adverb should be used in the answer as it is modifying the verb ‘to be.’ However, in English we generally respond using an adjective. The same exchange in Spanish is as follows:

    Question:  “¿Cómo estás?”                                  Answer:    “Estoy bien, gracias.”

    Spanish requires the speaker to be more sensitive to the uses of adjectives and adverbs. By internalizing the rules below you’ll be speaking proper Spanish in no time and perhaps your English will improve as well!

    Muy and Mucho

    1. Muy is an adverb and invariable in form. It translates into English as very.

    Example:     Es muy coloroso.

    2. Mucho can function as an adverb or limiting adjective. When functioning as an adverb it translates into English as a lot/ much and appears after the verb it modifies, unchanged in form.

    Example:     Hablo mucho.

    When used as an adjective, mucho translates into English as a lot (of)/many and appears before the noun and must agree in both number and gender: mucho/a (s)

    Example:    Tengo muchos amigos.

    You try: fill in the blanks with the correct form of muy or mucho.

    1. Ellas hablan ………… rápido.

    2. Ella corre ………… .

    3. Ellos tienen ………… problemas.

    4. Roberto cocina ………… bien.

    5. Estamos ………… tristes.

    Bueno and Bien

    1. Bien is an adverb and invariable in form. It translates into English as well.

    Example:     Estoy bien.

    2. Bueno is an adjective that can appear before or after the noun and must agree in both number and gender: bueno/a (s). It translates into English as good.

    Example:  Son buenas muchachas.

    When placed before a masculine singular noun it drops the final ‘o’.

    Example:  Es buen hombre.

    You try: fill in the blanks with the correct form of ‘bueno’ or ‘bien’.

    1. La familia está ………… .

    2. ¡Qué ………… día!

    3. Somos muy ………… amigos.

    4. Manuela baila ………… .

    5. Es una ………… mujer.