Haber: a very unusual irregular verb

Hi,

I have a question regarding "haber", but more specifically, "hay". Hay is supposed to be the 3rd person present tense of haber, isn't it? Why isn't it "ha" then. In the preterite tense you conjugate it as hubo (hubo un accidente...) as it should be or había in the imperfect, why is it irregular when saying "there is/are..."?

Thanks,

–Michael Nagelkerke

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Hi Michael,

Thanks for your question. Well, this is a very unusual irregular verb. It has a special conjugation for the third person when used as an impersonal verb^[1] in the present tense.

So, when you use "haber" as an auxiliary, you use the normal conjugation. e.g. "El ha hecho algo" (He has done something).

On the other hand, when you use it as an impersonal verb, you use "Hay". This is the case of "there is". Another impersonal use of this verb is "Hay que..." meaning "it's necessary to..." or "it's convenient to...". For example, "Hay que hacerlo despacio". (It's necessary/convenient to do it slowly").

Hope this helps a bit.

– Karin

P.S. Here you'll find a related article:
http://spanish.about.com/cs/verbs/a/haber_as_there.htm



¹ Impersonal: (of a verb) used only with a formal subject (in English usually it) and expressing an action not attributable to a definite subject (as in it is snowing).

Por o para mañana?

Hi Karin,

I was having trouble deciding between por and para for "for" in the sense
of: here is something now, but it is for later. E.g. it is your birthday
tomorrow, and I give you a present today, and say: this is for tomorrow.

I didn't think para was quite right, as that gives a sense of a deadline,
doesn't it? e.g. you have to complete a report for tomorrow (para
mañana). But por in the sense of the reason doesn't quite convey the
sense I was after either. I guess the problem is that I can't quite
make up my mind exactly what for actually means in English in the
sense above. I'm now wondering whether para might actually be closer.

• Here's your present, It is for tomorrow.
• I've got some chocolate. I won't eat it now. I'll keep it for (until) after dinner.
• That will be enough for now (por el momento).
• I've got a new coat for the winter. (to use during the winter, still in the future)
• Don't eat the cake now. It's for later (to be eaten at a later time)
  

How would you translate these examples?

As always, a big thanks!

G.

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Hi G,

For what the meaning you want to comunicate, it's "para mañana".

"Para" can convey both meanings:
"Lo quiero terminado para mañana" means the deadline is tomorrow.
"No abras el regalo todavía, es para mañana" means it's not for now, it's for later (tomorrow).

My translations for your statements:

• Aquí está tu regalo. Es para mañana.(i.e. Don't open it until tomorrow/it's for later)
• Tengo chocolate. No lo voy a comer ahorita. Lo guardaré para después de la cena.(i.e. I'll keep it for (until) after dinner/it's for later)
• Es suficiente por ahora. --- O "por el momento" **** Here we use "por"
  
• Tengo un abrigo nuevo para el invierno.(It's for later)
• No comas el pastel ahora. Es para después.(Again, it's for later)

– Karin

Lo mismo o igual?

Karin,

¡hola! ¿cómo estás?
¿cuál es la diferencia entre lo mismo y igual?
¿cuándo uso lo mismo y cuándo uso igual?

– Christina

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¡Hola amiga! Estoy muy bien, gracias por preguntar.
Mmmm... nunca lo había pensado. Investigué un poquito y llegué a las siguientes conclusiones:

1. Cuando forma parte de estructuras comparativas, con el significado "la misma cosa" (valor nominal), es posible usar tanto "lo mismo" como "igual".
   
   Ejemplo: "No es lo mismo oír que escuchar" = "No es igual oír que escuchar" (i.e. "No es la misma cosa...")
   
   
2. Cuando significa "de la misma manera" (valor adverbial), es posible usar ambos, pero es MUCHO más natural usar "igual".
   
   Ejemplo: "Escucha lo mismo a los hombres que a las mujeres" = "Escucha igual a los hombres que a las mujeres" (i.e. "Escucha de la misma manera...")
   
   
3. Cuando es un adjetivo y significa: " De la misma naturaleza, cantidad o calidad de otra cosa ", "del mismo valor ", "de la misma clase o condición" o "muy parecido o semejante", ÚNICAMENTE puedes usar "igual".
   
   Ejemplo: Pedro es igual a su papá. (i.e. muy parecido)
   
   
4. En la frase "igual de" (significando "tan" o "tanto") únicamente puedes usar "igual":
   
   Ejemplo: "Es igual de tímido que yo".

Espero que te sirva un poco.

Saludos,

– Karin

Esperar / Ayudar: Transitive or intransitive?

Hi Karin,

I have a question about whether to use the direct object or indirect object pronoun with the word “esperar” as in the following example: “Así que, no pierdan este gran evento programdo para el próximo sábado. Los (Les) esperamos en la tienda La Chulita.” Which is the correct object pronoun to use there? If I look in my dictionary for the meaning of “esperar” it tells me that one of the meanings is “to wait for”. Since the preposition “for” is already built into the verb then wouldn’t we use the direct object pronoun?

On the other hand, the verb “ayudar” does not have a preposition in its definition, which is “to help”. I would assume that we have to use the indirect object pronoun with this word as in: ¿Cómo puedo ayudarle? But I an not sure because I have heard ayudar used with the direct object pronoun like this: ¿Cómo puedo ayudarlo?. In both cases the translated meaning is “How can I help you?”

As you can see, my question is about object pronouns for verbs that are hard for English speakers to identify as requiring the direct or the indirect object.

Thank you,
– Jerome

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Hi Jerome,

Sorry for the delay. My computer crashed and I've been busy trying to restore everything I lost... but I'm back now.

OK, so first let's talk about "esperar". Your analysis is correct. In your example, we need the direct object pronoun, and we should say "¡Los esperamos!". However, you would find a lot of people who would say "Les esperamos" (but this is what we call "leísmo"). And while we're at it, a minor correction... we would say "Así que, no SE pierdan este gran evento...". Now, be careful. There are a few cases where "esperar" is an intransitive verb (taking and indirect object). For example, "Le(s) espera un mal tiempo". In this case "le(s)" is required. (Check the DRAE)

Now, regarding "ayudar", you are right again. It is a transitive verb and it should take the direct object pronoun. (You can verify this in the DRAE) And again, MANY Spanish speakers would say "¿Cómo puedo ayudarle?" when adressing someone using "usted". The correct way, though, is "¿Cómo puedo ayudarlo/a'?" (depending on the gender, of course).

If you hear native speakers using “le(s)” with these verbs, remember: native speech is not perfect... it's just the way people learned to speak (and a lot of people learned the wrong way).

Have a great day,

– Karin

Echar aguas

Spanish speaking guys I work with use the phrase "Echame Aguas" to request help in backing the truck up safely.

Can anyone shed some light on this usage?

-Souschef

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"Echar aguas" is usually used when someone is doing something that must remain a secret... most likely illegal or illicit (but not always). So, this person needs someone to look out for him... so he says "Echame aguas", meaning "Let me know if someone else comes".

And if a person wants to warn someone else, he can say "¡Aguas!". This means "Watch out!".

In this case, they probably mean "Can you look out and let me know when can I back the truck up safely?"

- Karin

Tú vs. Usted

When I was studying Spanish in school, we learned that tú is for people whom you address by their first name, and usted is for people whom you'd address with an honorific (e.g. if you would call someone Pedro you'd use tú in speaking to him, but if you would call him Señor Alvarez you'd use usted). But here in New Mexico at least I find that's not entirely true. It seems that here usted is for those who are older or in a higher station than you are, even if you'd address the person by first name (I learned this when I got reprimanded - in a friendly fashion - for addressing an older lady as tú because I always called her Teresa). What are the rules - for Latin American, and specifically Mexican/southwestern US, Spanish - with regard to tú and usted?

- Robert McKay

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Hi Robert!

Well, I think you could use as a guideline that if you address someone with an honorific, you should use usted. (If you use an honorific, you probably want to show respect!) However, the fact that you are familiar with someone on a first-name basis, doesn't mean that you should use tú. See, in much of the Spanish-speaking world, usted is used in both formal and informal situations.

Let me explain you better. Usted is not only a formal way to address people...It is used to show respect or maintain a certain distance with any person. In this order of ideas, you should use usted with:

• someone you don't know well (age and title doesn't matter here!)
  
• an older person (yes, we address older people with usted to show respect)
  
• an authority figure (your boss, your teacher, a policeman, a senator)
  
• someone who you know but your not close to him/her (for example, a neighbor)
• someone whom you would address by their title (e.g. Dr.Rodríguez, Sra. López...)
• anyone to whom you wish to show respect

On the other hand, tú is the familiar you. It demonstrates a certain closeness and informality. Although usage can vary with locality, in nearly all cases, it is used when addressing children, family members and good friends.

So, you should use tú to addres:

• a friend
  
• a peer / colleague
  
• a relative (Only if he/she is not older than you. i.e. You would use usted to address your uncle, whereas you would use tú to address your cousin)
  
• a child
  
• a pet
  

Note there's also a disparity with the usage of usted/tú: A young person should address and old one using usted, but the old person would probably addres the young person using tú. The same may be true with boss/employee relationships, for example. Of course, among friends, the use of tú is mutual. And among strangers, the use of usted is mutual as well.

As I mentioned above, there are some local variations. For instance, in Guatemala it is common to find men addressing women with usted (and vice versa) unless they're very close or they are rather outgoing, overtly expressive persons.

If you're in doubt whether to use the familiar or formal "you", use the formal one unless you're told it's OK to do otherwise. There's no problem with using usted all the time, People will just think you're really, really polite. And those who don't want to be address that way will usually tell you "Please, address me using tú" ;-)

- Karin

Some expressions

Hola, cómo se encuentran Uds?

1. I read that "como para" means "as if to". However does this mean that it is used in the same manner as "como si" or would it simply be followed by an infinitive? Can you provide an example?

2. Does anyone know how to use "tal que", "de tal naturaleza" o "de tal envergadura" in a sentence? I read that it means "such that", which I would imagine is equivalente to "to such an extent". Would this sentence then be right?:

Yo había perdido tanto dinero de tal naturaleza/de tal envergadura/tal que me enfrenté a la quiebra.

Are the red phrases interchangeable? Is this even really used in the spoken language? If I used them wrong how are they used? Can the phrases "hasta tal punto", "hasta donde" o "en la medida en que" take the place of the red phrases without changing the meaning of the sentence?

Muchísimas gracias por alguna aportación!

Ernestino

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Wow, those are a LOT of expressions to analyze!
But, at a glance, I can tell you they're not quite interchangeable.

First, "como si" is similar to "as if", while "como para" is similar to "as if to". For example, "She behaved as if he weren't there" --> "Se comportó como si el no estuviera allí" (Subjunctive here!).
Now, check "She bought him a present as if to say she was sorry" --> "Le compró un regalo como para decir que lo sentía" (Infinitive here!).

Second, I would say "tal que" means "so that" (and it needs a clause). "De tal envergadura/De tal naturaleza" is "OF such extent/nature" (and it doesn't necessarily requires a clause). e.g. "No tenía idea de que estaba metiendo en un problema de tal envergadura/naturaleza".

It's also important to know that these phrases work as adjectives, so they qualify a noun. And if you want to use a clause, you'll need to add "que". Thus, the sentence "Yo había perdido tanto dinero de tal envergadura me enfrenté a la quiebra." is completely wrong. Try using "La/Mi pérdida" (noun) instead of "Yo había perdido..." (and don't forget to use the verb "to be" to link the noun to the "adjective") --> "La pérdida fue de tal envergadura que me enfrenté a la quiebra".

And yes, these phrases are used in the spoken language. Note though, that "de tal envergaudura" is very formal. "De tal naturaleza" is more common.

Now, I think "hasta tal punto" (I would say "A tal punto") is the only one that fits in your original sentence. But again, "TANTO" is already making a comparison, so either you say "Había perdido tanto dinero que..." or "Había perdido dinero a tal punto que...".

On the other hand, "hasta donde" is similar to "as far as", while "en la medida que" is similar to "insofar as".

- Karin

¿Subjunctive or conditional?

Hi Karin,

I don't understand why "I would like to say" can be translated as: "Me gustaría* quedarme" (*conditional) and "Quisiera* quedarme" (*subjunctive). The same goes with "I wish I could stay, but...", that can be translated as: "Desearía* poder quedarme, pero..." (*conditional)
and "Quisiera* poder quedarme, pero..." (*subjunctive).

Thanks,

Christina

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Hi Christina,

As you may know, the conditional can be used to politely make requests or state desires (and sound less blunt). That is the case of "Me gustaría" and "Desearía".

However, when using the verb "querer", the imperfect subjunctive "quisiera" is often used for "I would like" instead of the conditional, whether followed by the subjunctive or not. ("Querría" is generally avoided).

Check this:

Although it may seem grammatically illogical, the imperfect subjunctive form of querer (usually translated in this context as "I would like"), quisiera, is a common, colloquial way of stating wishes and making polite requests. The normal sequence of tenses applies, so when quisiera is followed by a conjugated verb, the following verb must be in an imperfect subjunctive form. http://spanish.about.com/library/weekly/aa100101a.htm

- Karin

¿fines o fin?

I'm puzzled by the use of fines (plural) when I would expect to use fin (singular) in the phrase a fines de (at the end of).

I checked my dictionary and it gives two examples:-

a fines de junio = at the end of June

a fin de mes = at the end of the month.

Can anyone explain when you use fin and when do you use fines? Why is the plural used when the meaning seem to be singular ?

- Chris Butler.

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Hi Chris, nice question.

I don't know if there's a rule for this... but I would say that we* usually say "a fines de" + the name of the month when we're speaking of a month other than the one it is right now. Else, we say "a fin de mes".

The same goes for the year or the week, but in these cases it's more common to use "final" and "finales". We say "a final de la semana" but "a finales de la próxima semana:. And "a final de año" but "a finales del 2008".

For example, "Estrenarán la película a finales del 2008" pero "Estrenarán la película a final de año".


*This is how Guatemalans speak.

- Karin

Understanding subjunctive I

I have always been taught that when using the subjunctive in the subordinate clause there must ALWAYS be a subject change from the main clause (with the exception of “if, then” and “as if/though” statements). However I’ve seen this “rule” broken in two books dealing with grammar and advanced conversation with no explanation as to why. For instance in one book I read:

-¿Qué harás cuando hayas terminado?

and

-Jugarán después que hayan trabajado


Thanks,
Ernestino

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Hi Ernestino,

There is no required subject change when it is a conjunction which introduce future or hypothetical action: "¿Qué harás cuando hayas terminado?" and "Jugarán después que hayan trabajado" are two good examples. Other examples: "Cuando termines, llámame." y "Lo haré en cuanto pueda".

- Karin

Reflexive, Indirect Object and Direct Object Pronouns

I'm confused about certain pronouns. I have no problem with a sentence
such as "Quiero oirte cuando cantarás en la iglesia mañana," but when
speaking to someone whom I'd address as "usted," or when speaking to more
than one person (my Spanish, such as it is, is Latin American, and so
I've never learned the conjugations for "vosotros"), I don't know whether
to use "le/les" or "se," and I don't even know if there's a plural of
"se." Would the above sentence be:

Quiero oirle cuando cantará en la iglesia mañana
Quiero oirles cuando cantarán en la iglesia mañana

Or would I use "se" somehow?

Thanks for clearing this up for me. :)

Robert McKay

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Hi Robert! Hope you're doing great.

Before I answer your question about the pronouns, let me correct your sentence. We don't use the future tense here... instead, we use (present) subjunctive. Your sentence should be: "Quiero oirte cuando cantes en la iglesia mañana".

Now, let's try to answer your question. First, let's remember the reflexive, direct object, and indirect object pronouns.

Subject Pronouns	Reflexive Pronouns	D.O. Pronouns	I.O. Pronouns
Yo	me	me	me
Tú	te	te	te
Él / Usted	se	lo	le
Ella / Usted	se	la	le
Nosotros	nos	nos	nos
Vosotros	os	os	os
Ellos / Ustedes	se	los	les
Ellas / Ustedes	se	las	les

So, what you need to know is whether you're replacing a direct or indirect object, or if you're using the reflexive form of the verb.

For example, in the following phrases with the verb "ver" (to see), the person/people who are being seen are a direct object (the recipient of the action of a transitive verb).

Te quiero ver cuando cantes(a ti) = Quiero verte
Lo quiero ver (a él, a usted) = Quiero verlo
La quiero ver (a ella, a usted) = Quiero verla
Los quiero ver (a ellos, a ustedes) = Quiero verlos
Las quiero ver (a ellas, a ustedes) = Quiero verlas
Os quiero ver (a vosotros) = Quiero veros

On the other hand, in the following phrases with the veb "decir" (to tell), the person/people who are being told become an indirect object (someone or something that is affected by the action of a transitive verb, but is not the primary object)

Te quiero decir (a ti) = Quiero decirte
Le quiero decir (a él, a ella, a usted) = Quiero decirle
Les quiero decir (a ellos, a ellas, a ustedes) = Quiero decirles
Os quiero decir (a vosotros) = Quiero deciros

In your example, the person who is being hear is a direct object. Therefore, your sentence should go like this:

Quiero verte cuando cantes en la iglesia mañana. (a ti)
Quiero verlo cuando cante en la iglesia mañana. (a él, a usted)
Quiero verla cuando cante en la iglesia mañana. (a ella, a usted)
Quiero verlos cuando canten en la iglesia mañana. (a ellos, a ustedes)
Quiero verlas cuando canten en la iglesia mañana. (a ellas, a ustedes)
Quiero veros cuando cantéis (o canten) en la iglesia mañana. (a vosotros)

Finally, as you can see, "se" belongs only to the reflexive pronouns. So, it wouldn't fit in your sentence. You can use it, for example, with the verb "lavar".

(Él, Ella, Usted) Se lavó las manos.
(Ellos, Ellas, Ustedes) Se lavaron las manos.

In conclusion, what you need to learn and practice is to distinguish if you're referring to direct or indirect objects. Here you'll find another article with a closer look to this topic. I'm sure you'll find it helpful.
http://spanishexperts.blogspot.com/2006/12/how-can-i-know-when-should-i-use-le.html

Take care,

- Karin

Favor de / Por favor

On many signs in spanish they use Favor de _____(infinitive). Usually I hear people say Por favor _______(command). Is there any difference in tone or meaning?

- Ledge 7

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No Ledge, both have the same meaning. However, "Favor de+infinitive" is more impersonal, thus it's more common in signs (and NOT in conversations). On the other hand, "Por favor+command" is used in both, conversations and signs.

For example, these two examples could work for a sign, but only the last one is likely to be used in a conversation:
Favor de cerrar la puerta al salir.
Por favor, cierre la puerta al salir.

- Karin

Double Negation in Spanish

How would you say "How can no one like you?" in Spanish?
I'll stab: "¿Cómo es posible que a nadie no le gustes?"

-Atlman9999

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Altman9999,

Hay una regla para las "dobles negaciones": Cuando la palabra negativa ("nadie", "nunca", etc.) va antes del verbo principal, el "no" desaparece; pero si va después se tiene que usar el verbo negado (no +verbo).

Es decir, diríamos
"¿Cómo es posible que no le gustes a nadie?"
o "¿Cómo es posible que a nadie le gustes?"

Pero NO diríamos
"¿Cómo es posible que a nadie no le gustes?"
Sería algo contradictorio... como usar doble negación en inglés.

Por cierto, en el contexto de la oración yo preferiría usar "agradar" y no "gustar". "Gustar" tiene una connotación de atracción física... y no es de eso de lo que estamos hablando (creo yo, aunque habría que revisar el contexto).

Saludos,
- Karin

Alegrarse/Después de que

Hola a todos,

Siempre pensaba que las oraciones "despues" y "alegrarse" fueron siguido por "de que". pero de vez en cuando, los veo sin el "de". Indica una diferencia de significado?

es bueno decir:
despues que y me alegro que?

Gracias por cualquier informacion y por favor corrigenme si cometi alguna error :)

LePetitKobi

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Hola LePetitKobi,

Estás en lo correcto, tanto "Me alegro" como "Después" deben in seguidos de "de que". Cuando veas algún texto en donde han omitido "de", es un caso de "queísmo". Es decir, es el error que cometen algunos hispanohablantes de escribir únicamente "que". Pero lo correcto es decir "Me alegro de que" y "Después de que".

Ahora un par de correcciones para tu texto. Debiste escribir: «Siempre pensé que las oraciones con "después" y "alegrarse" iban (o debían ir) seguidas por "de que". ¿Es correcto decir...?»

Saludos,
- Karin

P.D. Más sobre el "queísmo" en el artículo del Diccionario Panhispánico de Dudas de la RAE.
http://buscon.rae.es/dpdI/SrvltGUIBusDPD?lema=que%EDsmo

Siempre + Imperfect/Preterite?

¿Porqué es "siempre pensé que ..., pero..." y no "siempre pensaba que ..., pero ..."

Gracias por las acclaraciones y las correcciones :)

-LePetitKobi

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LePetitKobi,

Cuando hablamos de algo que solíamos hacer (especialmente como rutina), usamos el imperfecto. Es algo que quedó en el pasado. Por ejemplo: "Mi abuelo siempre pensaba/creía que tenía la razón" (Él murió hace algunos años)

Pero en este caso, te refieres a algo que solías pensar y que recientemente (en un pasado MUY cercano) has dejado de pensar porque algo te hizo cambiar de opinión. Entonces usas pasado simple (pretérito). Por ejemplo, "Siempre pensé/creí que esto se hacía de esta manera... pero acabo de descubrir que no es así"

Ahora nota algo importante, si omites "siempre", entonces DEBES usar imperfecto: "Pensaba/Creía que esto se hacía de esta manera... pero acabo de descubrir que no es así"

Esta diferencia también se da con verbos como "creer" "querer" "esperar"... Por ejemplo: "Siempre quería ser la primera de la clase" (Cuando estaba en el colegio, hace muchos años) pero decimos "Siempre quise ir a L.A., pero ahora quiero ir a N.Y." (Hubo un cambio)

Saludos,

- Karin

Más vale

Agradezco sus interpretaciones de una frase que oí por la radio hoy. Primero déjenme explicar el contexto para que puedan entender la frase por completo. La locutora del programa estaba regalando boletos a personas las quienes le llamaban por teléfono para que vayan a un baile. Preguntó la locutora a un ganador si iba a llevar a su esposa al baile. Luego agregó que, “Más vale la lleves si no, no te deja ir.”

En dicho ejemplo, ¿Qué será una traducción al inglés para la frase “Más Vale”?. He oido esa frase en otras ocasiones per no estoy nada de seguro del significado de ella. También les agradezco que me den otros ejemplos del uso de esta frase.

Saludos,
Jerome

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Hola Jerome,

Primero, tengo unas cuantas correcciones (en rojo) y sugerencias (en azul) para ti:

La locutora del programa estaba regalando boletos a las personas las quienes le que la llamaban por teléfono para que vayan ir a un baile. La locutora preguntó la locutora a un ganador si iba a llevar a su esposa al baile. Luego agregó que, “Más vale que la lleves si no, no te dejará ir.”

En dicho ejemplo, ¿Qué será Cuál sería una traducción al inglés para la frase “Más Vale”?. He oído esa frase en otras ocasiones pero no estoy nada de seguro del de su significado de ella. También les agradezco que me den otros ejemplos del uso de esta frase.

Ahora, en este caso "Más vale..." se traduce como "You had better (take her with you or she won't let you go)". Es una advertencia implícita o explícita.

Otros puntitos a comentar:

1. Puedes usar la frase con un pronombre en medio: "Más te vale", "Más le vale". Por ejemplo, "Más te vale portarte bien mientras estoy fuera", "Más le vale cumplir, o se las verá conmigo" y "Más te vale hacerlo ahora mismo".
   
2. Nota que si NO usas un pronombre entre "más" y "vale", debes decir "Más vale que...". Por ejemplo, "Más vale que te portes bien mientras estoy fuera", "Más vale que cumpla, o se las verá conmigo" y "Más vale que lo hagas ahora mismo".
3. En los dichos "Más vale tarde que nunca" u "Más vale pájaro en mano..." el significado es un poco distinto: "It is better" o "It's worth more".

Espero que esto aclare tus dudas.
Saludos,

- Karin

Cosquillas

Do you know what this means: "Soy risueño y me hacen cosquillas"
I heard it and it sounds like an idiom but not sure what it means.

- Marycelis

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Hi Marycelis,

"Risueño" is an adjective to describe someone who is always smiling and/or laughing. And "hacer consquillas (a alguien)" means to tickle (somebody). It would go "I smile/laugh easily and they tickle me".

Now, I hadn't heard this idiom before, but I would guess it means something similar to this other idiom: "El niño que es llorón y la mamá que lo pellizca" (not only is he a crybaby, but also his mother pinches him). In other words, a person is inclined/dispose/willing to do something and someone else encourages him or does something else to give him a push to do it...

There are few other idioms with the word "cosquillas". For example, we say "No me hace ni cosquillas" (it doesn't even tickle me) meaning "this doesn't affect me in the slightest". For example, you could say to someone who is trying to intimidate you with his words: "Tus palabras no me hacen ni cosquillas", in other words, I don't care what you say; your words mean nothing to me.

"Buscarle cosquillas (a alguien)" means to annoy or tease someone. "hacerle a alguien cosquillas (algo)" means something makes someone curious, or it tickles his fancy. And "tener malas cosquillas" means to be touchy.

Hope this helps,

- Karin

Still/Yet - Todavía/Aún

Hola... tengo una pregunta... Es sobre "aún" y "todavía". He creído que entendí bien antes. No obstante, un amigo..."threw me for a loop" porque usó la palabra "aún" cuando yo usaría "todavía"....y ahora, creo que tengo....del reverse, jajaja.

Quizás si les explico mejor....
Es como esto: "still" y "yet" son las dos caras de la misma moneda...
"Still" implica no cambio...y no cambio expectante cualquier tiempo pronto....jaja.
"Yet" implica una esper.....ummm...."an expectancy", esperanza, o una posibilidad de un cambio.
Ya....Quiero saber cómo se debería escribir las siguentes oraciones en español usando "aún" o "todavía": :D

Son: Can I borrow the car?
Dad: No
Una hora más:
Son: Can I borrow the car?
Dad: The answer is still "no". (¡la respuesta no he cambiado de la úlitma vez me preguntaste!...and won't change if you ask me again.)

Hijo en .....atrasero? (backseat?) del coche: "Are we there yet?" (¿Hemos llegado a nuestra destinación.....(yet))
Papí: No, we still have 30 miles (of driving) to go. (para hacer....conducir, hasta que nos llegamos a nuestra destinación)
(Nota: no puedes decir "Are we there still?" porque si estuvieras "ahí" entonces no estás acá :D....)

A:I don't have a license yet. (...but I intend/expect/hope that to change soon....soon I'll be "riding around in my automobile"....jaja)
I don't have a license still. (sigh...my hope of getting that license is lessening...)jaja

B: You don't have a license yet? (Why not? When are you planning on getting it?)
You don't have a license still? (what's taking you so long to get it?? Problems?)

Durante una..."car wash", un trabajador le pregunta al otro "Do we have enough money yet?" (He has hope that eventually they will have enough money)
No, we still need $100. (the answer to the first question was no....and if nothing changes, it will still be no since they continue to lack sufficient funds :D)

My brother works at Pizzaria, a pizza place, and he has yet to give me a pizza. (I keep asking, hoping he'll remember...and hoping....and hoping....I keep hoping but so far it hasn't materialized :D). Maybe I'll get it tomorrow. ;-P
My brother works at Pizzaria, a pizza place, and he still has not given me a pizza. (I keep asking....and asking...and asking...and hoping....and hoping...and....hoping...My hope of ever seeing a pizza is diminishing....getting smaller and smaller as each day passes with no pizza entering my hands...) ...I'm never getting a pizza, am I? :(

You still haven't won at that game?? (shouldn't you have won already?? At least once, given the number of times you've tried??)
I'll beat it yet (one of these days....I'll win one of these days).

A: John, you can go home now.
John: Thanks! (gets up and leaves the room)
Half an hour later A sees John in the break area and says "Are you still here."
John says "Yep, haven't left yet. Thought I'd drink a cup of coffee before I headed out."
("still" and "yet" are not interchangeable in this example**).

There are times when they can be interchanged, sino...se parece "intercambiable".
I have yet to see you age= You still haven't aged a bit :D
These two sentences may appear to be the same...and the end result is the same (you still have your "look of youth", jiji)...and both are usually said in a tone of surprise, however the first sentence person is thinking I'm waiting, expecting it eventually, but thus far it eludes you...how do you do it? ;-D ; the second is thinking You look just like you did the last time we got together. Not one change ;-P

Gracias de antemano for going over this ...."yet" again, jaja. (I'm hoping to eventually understand the differences of when to use the spanish counterparts :D)

-Denaz

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Hi Denaz,

In my opinion, they're synonyms. Let's translate your sentences. I will use the vos conjugation and I will underline some corrections for you.

Hijo: ¿Me prestás tu carro/auto/coche?
Papá: No
Una hora más tarde:
Hijo: ¿Me prestás tu carro/auto/coche?
Papá: La respuesta sigue siendo no. (¡la respuesta no ha cambiado desde la úlitma vez que me preguntaste!... y no cambiará si me preguntás otra vez.)

You could say "La respuesta todavía/aún es no", but -IMHO- it's not a natural or colloquial way to answer. I would use "sigue siendo no".

Hijo en el asiento trasero del coche: ¿Ya llegamos? (a nuestro destino)
Papá: No, aún/todavía faltan 30 millas para llegar.

Both are acceptable, but todavía is MUCH more colloquial. At least where I live...

A:
Todavía/Aún no tengo licencia (para conducir).
("... pero espero que esto cambie pronto... pronto estaré conduciendo en mi automóvil" -o- "...y mi esperanza de obtener un licencia está disminuyendo")

B:
¿Todavía/Aún no tenés licencia?
( "¿Por qué no? ¿Cuándo pensás obtenerla?" -o- "¿Por qué te está tomando tanto tiempo obtenerla? ¿Problemas?")

Both words work for either case - hopeful or hopeless ;-)
Again, todavía is more colloquial...

NOTE: The trick here is the stress you put in the pronunciation of the phrases. If you stress Todavía/Aún and speak with a tone of disbelief, sarcasm, concern or lack of hope... then you will communicate exactly that. If, on the other hand, you do not stress those words, you will communicate the opposite: hope, something that will be done soon, and so on...

Durante un..."car wash", un trabajador le pregunta al otro "¿Ya reunimos suficiente dinero?" (con esperanza de que con el tiempo reúnan suficiente dinero)
No, aún/todavía faltan $100. (La respuesta a la pregunta anterior fue no... y si nada cambia, seguirá siendo no hasta que continúen faltando los fondos necesarios)

OK, note here that I do NOT use Todavía/Aún in the question, because the question is positive. (Just asking if we've got enough money or not). Now, if I want to ask in a negative way, I could say "¿Todavía no hemos reunido suficiente dinero?" --- (Notice the change of tense here) With this question I'm implying that I'm tired of washing cars and I can't understand why don't we have enough money yet... how is that possible?

In the answer, you can use them interchangeably.

Mi hermano trabaja en Pizzaria, una pizzería, y todavía/aún no me ha traído una pizza. (Se la sigo pidiendo, esperando que algún día me la dé... y esperando... y esperando... Sigo esperando, pero aún no se ha materializado) Quizás la obtenga mañana.

Mi hermano trabaja en Pizzaria, una pizzería, y todavía/aún no me ha traído una pizza. (Se la sigo pidiendo... y pidiendo... y pidiendo otra vez... y esperando... y esperando... Mi esperanza de ver algún día una pizza se está desvaneciendo... aminorando y aminorando mientras pasa cada día sin una pizza en mis manos). Nunca voy obtener una pizza, ¿o sí?

As you can see, here they're interchangeable as well. If you want to make a distinction between both intentions (hopeful/hopeless), you'll need to pronounce the statement with the proper tone - and stress todavía/aún if you're hopeless... or totally disappointed... because he can't think of his sweet little sister who is desperate for a slice of pizza, hehe =)

¿Todavía/Aún no han ganado el juego? (¿No lo deberían haber ganado ya? Al menos una vez, dadas las veces que lo han intentado!)
Ya los venceré... (uno de estos días... ganaremos uno de estos días!)

In this case you do not translate "yet" like todavía/aún... And the tone in a spoke conversation would make a LOT of difference.

Alex: Juan, ya puedes irte a casa.
Juan: ¡Gracias! (Se levanta y sale del salón)
Media hora después, Alex ve a Juan en el salón de descanso y le pregunta "¿Todavía/Aún estás aquí?". Juan dice, "Sí, todavía/aún estoy aquí. Se me ocurrió tomar una taza de café antes de irme"

It's true "still" and "yet" are not interchangeable in this example, but in Spanish, it's a different story. Once more, todavía/aún are interchangeable.

Tu edad todavía/aún está por verse = Todavía/aún no has envejecido

These are translations for your sentences, but I must say, I wouldn't use any of those. I would say something like "¡Seguís igualita(o)!", "¡No has cambiado nada!" or "¡No se te notan los años!".

My conclusions:

1. Todavía and Aún are synonyms.


2. They're interchangeable all the time.


3. Todavía would be most-likely used in colloquial speech, whereas Aún is a bit more formal (IMHO).


4. If you want to emphasize your intention, you'll do it either amplifying the phrase in written text or using the proper tone and stress in spoken Spanish.


5. If someone tells you they're not interchangeable... that is his/her personal preference!

Hope this helps a bit. ;-)

- Karin

Ponerse al día

I'm having trouble understanding and using the phrase:

Tengo que ponerme al día con....

One "phrase of the day" website gave this one example but not futher explanation: Tengo que ponerme al día con todas mis cosas. (I have to get everything done as soon as possible.)

A post in another forum gave the explanation as: keep up-to-date; keep me updated; keep me informed. An explanation in my idioms books is: to bring up-to-date. Me puso al día. (He brought me up-to-date.)

Although, I'm still not totally sure of the use of this phrase, I'm leaning towards using the phrase as a way to say "up-to-date." Here are some of my own examples, am I on the right track?

Tengo que ponerme al día con mis actividades. (I have to stay up-to-date with my activities)

Tengo que ponerme al día con las obligaciones bancarias. (I have to stay up-to-date with the banking obligations.)

Te podré al día. (I'll bring you up-to-date.)

Your assistance and examples of the use of this phrase will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

-Sparrow 4793

---

Well, I think that "I have to keep/stay up-to-date" is more like "Tengo que mantenerme al día".

"Ponerse al día" is a bit different.
Here are some examples where someone might say "Tengo que ponerme al día":

1. You're behind with your tasks (i.e. slow or late in accomplishing such tasks), and you need to work in order to get everything done (as it should have been).
   
   For example, you had to stay home sick for a week. When you get back to work, you see a tower of pending requests on your desk. You say, "Tengo que ponerme al día". And, when you finish all your overdue tasks, you can say "Me puse al día".


2. You failed to know/hear/view/experience a lot of things that happened during a period while you were absent. You say "Tengo que ponerme al día", meaning I need to know everything that happened.
   
   For example, you were on a trip. When you come back, you find out you missed a lot of things that happened while you were away. You realize "Tengo que ponerme al día". You can ask a friend/workmate to bring you up-to-date. (Le puedes pedir a un amigo que te ponga al día)


3. You need to be more modern with your thoughts/customs.
   
   For example, your daughter and her friends are listening to some modern crazy music. Then, you found out the parents of her friends also like that kind of music while you still thinks the music that you used to listen when you were young is the coolest music ever. You may think "Tengo que ponerme al día"
   

Now, I don't think "Tengo que ponerme al día con todas mis cosas" conveys the same meaning as "I have to get everything done as soon as possible". However, it's a bit close to meaning #1.

Finally, a friend suggested the phrase "I have a lot of catching up to do" as a pretty close translation for "Tengo que poner al día". I agree with him. Thanks Altman9999!

- Karin

Preterite or Imperfect?

Una pregunta:

«Todo que puse en la lo que ponía en mi boca me sabó sabía a lodo.»

¿Está en el imperfecto porque sucedió sobre una racha (a period of time)? Usé el preterito porque empezó y terminó la enfermedad.

- Mike

---

Mike,

Usamos el pretérito para indicar una acción que sucedió y terminó en el pasado. Pero en este caso, no se trata de una acción sino de un estado. Usamos el imperfecto para referirnos a estados o condiciones en el pasado. ¡Es importante diferenciar entre una acción y un estado para elegir la conjugación más apropiada! Mira esto:

The imperfect indicative is used:
To describe a condition, mental state, or state of being from the past — Había una casa aquí. (There used to be a house here.) Era estúpido. (He was stupid.) No te conocía. (I didn't know you.) Quería estar feliz. (He wanted to be happy.) Tenía frío. (He was cold.)
--- From about.com

Para recordarlo más fácilmente, las sensaciones (sabor, olor, etc) se usan generalmente con imperfecto.

Y aprovechando la ocasión, un pequeño resumen del uso del pretério y el imperfecto. Generalmente, el pretérito se usa para describir acciones que sucedieron y terminaron en el pasado, mientras el imperfectos se usa para acciones pasadas que no tienen un principio o final definido. Pero veamos un poco más de estas dos formas de pasado en español.

Usamos el IMPERFECTO

• Para describir acciones habituales en el pasado
• Antes estudiaba música todos los días, ahora no me queda tiempo.
  
• Para situaciones que establecen una escena.
• Estaba nevando y había mucho frío...
  
• Para expresar la hora y la edad con tener.
• En ese entonces, yo tenía 15 años.
• Cuando regresó, eran las 2 de la mañana.
  
• Para expresar sensaciones, condiciones físicas (y características), mentales y emocionales en el pasado.
• Olía muy mal. (sensación)
  
• María era una mujer hermosa. (físico)
• Estaban muy distraídos. (mental)
• La quería muchísimo. (emocional)
• Para describir dos acciones simultaneamente con mientras.
• Mientras mamá preparaba el pastel, yo la observaba con atención.
  
• Para describir una acción que estaba en progreso en relación a otro evento (en un momento no preciso sin referencia al comienzo o fin de la acción.
• Preparaba la cena cuando sonó el timbre.
El progresivo en el pasado.: Imperfecto de estar + el presente
(El uso del progresivo pone más énfasis en la acción en progreso)
• Estaba preparando la cena cuando sonó el timbre.
  

Usamos el PRETERITO

• Para acciones que son consideradas como eventos únicos
• Le escribí una carta.
  
• Para acciones que fueron repetidas un número específico de veces
• Fuí a verla dos veces esta semana.
  
• Para acciones que ocurrieron durante un período específico de tiempo
• Llovió toda la noche.
  
• Para establecer el principio y final de una acción
• El concierto empezó a las ocho y terminó a las once.

Saludos,

- Karin