Archive for February, 2010
¿Qué Pedo?

¿Qué Pedo?

Posted 18 February 2010 | By Administrator | Categories: Mini Lessons | No Comments

The translation for the Spanish slang word pedo is fart. As hideous of a word as that is (seriously, just typing it makes me cringe), in Spanish there are a bazillion different uses for it. Which ultimately means that there is no way in hell to avoid the word pedo. Ugh.
While pedo alone means fart, [...]

Hey You!: The Tú, Vos, and Usted Conundrum

Hey You!: The Tú, Vos, and Usted Conundrum

Posted 18 February 2010 | By Administrator | Categories: Mini Lessons | No Comments

English speakers have it easy. When we speak directly to anyone, we just have one word to worry about: “You.”
In Spanish, your worry level increases dramatically because you have to make the distinction between whether to use tú, vos, or usted. To make matters worse, each have their own set of conjugations, too. We’ll stay [...]

Who will have been the pirate that lost this treasure?

Who will have been the pirate that lost this treasure?

Posted 18 February 2010 | By Administrator | Categories: Mini Lessons | 1 Comment

¿Quién – Who?
habrá sido – will have been (verbs haber/ser)
el pirata – the pirate (male)
que – that
perdió – lost (verb: perder [to lose] –> preterite tense)
este – this
tesoro? – treasure

Think you’ve mastered Spanish pronunciation? Here’s the ultimate test.

Think you’ve mastered Spanish pronunciation? Here’s the ultimate test.

Posted 18 February 2010 | By Administrator | Categories: Mini Lessons | No Comments

Here’s a trabalenguas (tongue-twister) to challenge your pronunciation skills: Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal en tres tristes trastos.
 En tres tristes trastos tragaban trigo tres tristes tigres.

Now, what could that jumble of words possibly mean? Let’s break it down…

Tres tristes tigres = three sad tigers. Alright, that’s easy enough.

Amigos Falsos– Some false cognates to look out for in Spanish!

Amigos Falsos– Some false cognates to look out for in Spanish!

Posted 18 February 2010 | By Administrator | Categories: Mini Lessons | 1 Comment

When learning a language, cognates become your best amigo. What are cognates? Cognates are words that have the same meaning, and look the same in two different languages. Examples: Alcohol = Alcohol, Falso = False, Ofender = Offend… you get the idea. Now, all is good and fun with these cognates until they become your amigo falso (false friend).