Spanish Word of the day

[Susie Hamilton]

Since I am starting to learn spanish, I thot a word of the day might help others who might need a few words in their daily routine.

balanza, noun
scales

La balanza refers to scales that you weigh things in:

una balanza de cocina
kitchen scales

la balanza de baño
bathroom scales

[Susie Hamilton]

barato, adjective, adverb
cheap

Barato is the basic word to describe something which isn’t expensive:

viviendas baratas
cheap housing

la abundancia de energía barata
the abundant supply of cheap energy

In the examples above barato goes with nouns, but it’s also the form you use with verbs:

Se come muy barato en este restaurante.
You can eat very cheaply in this restaurant.

El coche nos costó muy barato.
We bought the car very cheap.

[ichthus]

Spanish word for the day:

otorrinolaringólogo: the ear, nose, and throat doctor.

just kidding, but it is the real thing.

"Yes, receptionist. I'm here to see the otorrinolaringólogo."


Also:

Parangaricutirimícuaro: the town in Mexico with the longest name!

Used as a tongue twister to see how fast you can say it.

(If you say either of these words in a US Pentecostal church they may think you have just received the Holy Ghost.)

[Susie Hamilton]

entre, preposition
between; among

Entre can translate either as between or among:

Lo terminamos entre los dos.
Between the two of us we finished it.

entre las dos y las cuatro de la tarde
between two and four in the afternoon

Las mujeres hablaban entre sí.
The women were talking among themselves.

Remember that you use the subject pronouns tú and yo in the phrase entre tú y yo, between you and me:

No debe haber secretos entre tú y yo.
There mustn’t be any secrets between you and me.

[ichthus]

Since I am starting to learn spanish, I thot a word of the day might help others who might need a few words in their daily routine.

balanza, noun
scales

La balanza refers to scales that you weigh things in:

una balanza de cocina
kitchen scales

la balanza de baño
bathroom scales

Actually balanza is an old word referring to like the "two-sided" balance or scale like the statue of "Lady Justice" holds in her hand. (like in the phrase "weighed in the balance")

Scale as we use it today is a different word for each:

una báscula
Bathroom scale

(although I think some spanish speaking countries also use balanza at times)

una balanza de cocina
or un peso (de cocina)
kitchen scale



It gets complicated when one word in english changes according to use in spanish. And sometimes it depends on which country! Sometimes words that are acceptable in one country are swear words in another country!

[Susie Hamilton]

entrenar, verb
to train

Entrenar is the word you use when someone is training someone else:

Igual entreno a niños que al primer equipo.
I train kids and the first team, it’s all the same to me.

Le acusaron de entrenar a terroristas.
They accused him of training terrorists.

When you want to talk about training that someone does for themselves, you use the reflexive entrenarse:

Empezará a entrenarse a partir del lunes.
He’ll start training on Monday.

[ichthus]

Spanish is such a beautiful language, and we Americans now have good motivation to learn it, after all we are the 5th largest spanish-speaking country in the world!! Only Spain, Colombia, Argentina, and Mexico have more spanish-speakers than the USA! A lot of people probably don't like that fact at all.

[Susie Hamilton]

entretanto, adverb
meanwhile

One thing may be happening, and while it’s going on something else happens. That’s when entretanto, meanwhile, can help you link the two events:

La situación en Quilmes se encuentra bajo control. Entretanto la tensión se ha desplazado a otros barrios.

The situation in Quilmes is under contral. Meanwhile, there is tension in other areas.

Entretanto can also be used as a noun in the phrase en el entretanto, in the meantime, in the meanwhile:

En el entretanto ha llovido mucho y el agua ha enfriado los ánimos.

In the meantime there’s been a lot of rain, and everyone has cooled down.

[Ilovebigcats]

(If you say either of these words in a US Pentecostal church they may think you have just received the Holy Ghost.)

[ichthus]

(If you say either of these words in a US Pentecostal church they may think you have just received the Holy Ghost.)

I seriously wonder if someone said those two words together over and over really fast in a UPC if someone would try to give an interpretation!!
(I say UPC so as not to say COG/COGOP )

Man, I would hope not!!

[DaJudge]

Immigracion: A word, if shouted, that will cause a mass exodus in lettuce fields, chicken plants, or lawn care services.

[Susie Hamilton]

fin, noun
end

El fin is the most common word for the end of something.

Fue el fin de una era.

It was the end of an era.


Al fin decidí aceptar su oferta.

In the end I decided to accept his offer.

[Susie Hamilton]

ganas, noun
to feel like doing

When you want to talk about what you feel like doing, or don’t feel like doing, tener ganas de followed by the infinitive is the phrase you need:

Tengo ganas de ir al cine.
I feel like going to the movies.

When you’re not very keen to do something, you can use the negative, often with muchas:

No tengo muchas ganas de volver a hacer lo de antes.
I’m not very keen on going back to doing what I did before.

And if you’re really keen to do something, you use muchas with the verb in the affirmative:

Tienen muchas ganas de trabajar y aprender cosas.
They’re very keen to work and learn things.

[ichthus]

Immigracion: A word, if shouted, that will cause a mass exodus in lettuce fields, chicken plants, or lawn care services.

[Susie Hamilton]

ganas, noun
to feel like doing

When you want to talk about what you feel like doing, or don’t feel like doing, tener ganas de followed by the infinitive is the phrase you need:

Tengo ganas de ir al cine.
I feel like going to the movies.

When you’re not very keen to do something, you can use the negative, often with muchas:

No tengo muchas ganas de volver a hacer lo de antes.
I’m not very keen on going back to doing what I did before.

And if you’re really keen to do something, you use muchas with the verb in the affirmative:

Tienen muchas ganas de trabajar y aprender cosas.
They’re very keen to work and learn things.