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Plural nouns

 

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Old December 11, 2010, 08:33 PM
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Question Plural nouns

My workbook has a list of nouns that are "always plural". I'm not sure I understand a couple of them.

los gemelos - but what if you're talking about one person who has a twin. Like my nephews, Aaron & Will. If I'm talking about Aaron, I can say "Aaron is a twin". Why can't I say "Aaron es un gemelo"? I see that "gemelos" also means cuff links. But what if I lose one but not both cuff links. Couldn't I say "perdí un gemelo de una pareja"?

los lentes - I wear contact lenses. What if I wear in one contact lens (I have a friend who only wears one). Can I say "llevo un lente"? And doesn't "lente de aumento" also mean magnifying glass?

Hmmmm.....
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  #2  
Old December 11, 2010, 09:31 PM
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gemelo, -a = a twin (a cufflink)
los gemelos, -as = twins (cufflinks, binoculars)

lente = lens
lente de contacto = contact lens
lentes = lenses
lentes de contacto = contact lenses

The workbook is wrong about these nouns always being plural.
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Old December 12, 2010, 04:22 AM
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Thanks, Rusty!
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Old December 12, 2010, 02:12 PM
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And don't forget that "gemelos" refer as well to the calf muscles!

b (Anat) calf muscle
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Old December 13, 2010, 02:29 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JPablo View Post
And don't forget that "gemelos" refer as well to the calf muscles!

b (Anat) calf muscle
Doubtless because there are two side-by-side in each calf.
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Old December 13, 2010, 02:36 AM
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Yup, like any normal Homo Sapiens has two eyebrows that are parallel, two nostrils, two ears, two "esternocleidomastoideos" (not sure how you say these in English), two deltoids, two arms, two legs, two... (ejem)... (You kind of get the Leonardo Da Vinci picture of the man in the circle...)
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Old December 13, 2010, 02:38 AM
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yes, but you have four calf muscles
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Old December 13, 2010, 02:43 AM
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That's right, you have four and I have four, so that makes eight!
So, this is not "gemelos" it is now "cuatrillizos"! (And I guess, "octillizos"!)

(Just kidding!)
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