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A PropósitoAsk about definitions or translations for Spanish or English words. |
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A Propósito
From what I understand, "a propósito" is equivalent to the English phrase "by the way". Is this correct?
If so, is it used in the exact same sense and is it used regular? For instance, in English it would be very common to say something like: Oh, by the way. . . . . . I stopped at the store on the way home and picked up some milk. . . . I also have the same book you do. . . . I really think we should take that trip to Ireland. etc. Is this the same way that "a propósito" is used in Spanish? |
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#3
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. . . I stopped at the store on the way home and picked up some milk. (Ugh, can't do this one. I don't know the verbs for "stopped" or "picked up," nor do I know how to say "on the way." Help?) . . . I also have the same book you do. . . . También tengo el mismo libro que tienes. (?) . . . I really think we should take that trip to Ireland. (Can't do this one either. How do you say "should"? Also, what verb would be used for "to take" in this sense?) |
#4
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For example, instead of saying that you stopped at the store (parar a|en la tienda), you could just use ir a la tienda, conjugated properly. Instead of 'picked up', use 'bought'. To say 'on the way home', there are a couple of different approaches. You can use a literal rendering 'en el camino a la casa'. You can say where you were coming from (venía del trabajo). You can use 'iba a casa' or 'volvía a casa' to set the stage for the other actions that happened (conjugated in the preterite tense). You can say 'antes de llegar a la casa, fui a la tienda para ...'. There are plenty more options. hacer un viaje = take a trip deber = should Use 'deber hacer el viaje a Irlanda' to say 'should take the trip'. Remember to conjugate only the first verb of the pair. |
#5
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'ti' would be incorrect. Tengo el mismo libro que tú (tienes). Coming back to the first question of the thread: by the way = a propósito =por cierto Mind the two meanings of "a propósito" that Rusty pointed out. |
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Oops! I thought tú, but wrote ti. Thanks for catching that!
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Person A: "I got a call from my brother today." Person B: "Oh really? And, speaking of which, has he bought a car yet?" Hoy me llamó mi hermano. Ah si? Y, a propósito, ha comprado ya un coche? |
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In addition to these meanings, the phrase can also mean 'on purpose' or 'deliberately'. Context is the key to proper translation. |
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Awesome, thanks for all the info, guys! Very helpful.
So Don, you're saying that "por cierto" can also be used for "by the way" or in the sense of the alternate meanings for "a propósito"? Last edited by SPX; August 28, 2011 at 09:42 AM. |
#10
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You can use it for "by the way", not for "on purpose"
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