The former...the latter... en español

[CrOtALiTo]

Escrito originalmente por Rusty

I've always used éste/a and aquél/aquella. That's what I believe I heard in Central America. I would certainly understand the 'segundo/primero' sentences, though.

I will use the word Aquel, I feel that sound well, although I respect the view point of others person of the forum, because all the view points are correct, I think that likely the people use the word or the sentence when is better set inside of the same phrase, because all the last post has much information of the correct words that would to be used inside of the phrase.

I think...

[chileno]

Lei por segunda vez tu mensaje y voy a escribir como se usa/usaba en chile...

Escrito originalmente por AngelicaDeAlquezar

Let's see if these examples are useful, David...


Some people prefer dogs to cats because the former are more faithful.
Algunas personas prefieren los perros a los gatos, porque aquéllos/los primeros son más fieles.

...los anteriores/primeros son mas fieles

I've been offered coffee or tea. I chose the former.
Me ofrecieron café o té. Elegí aquél/el primero.

Elegí lo primero

During the holidays I visited Paris and Berlin. The latter is a magnificent city.
En las vacaciones visité París y Berlín. Ésta/la segunda es una ciudad magnífica.

...esta última es una ciudad magnífica

Spiders are not insects. The latter have six feet, the former have eight.
Las arañas no son insectos. Éstos/los primeros tienen seis patas; aquéllas/las otras/las segundas tienen ocho.

Con tantas patas te equivocate...

Las primeras tienen ocho patas y los segundos/últimos tienen seis patas.

Asi es como decimos en chile.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Escrito originalmente por chileno

[...]

Con tantas patas te equivocate...

[...]

¡Cierto!

Correction to my own sentence:

Spiders are not insects. The latter have six feet, the former have eight.
Las arañas no son insectos. Éstos/los últimos/estos últimos tienen seis patas; aquéllas/las otras/las primeras tienen ocho.


Gracias, Hernán.

[chileno]

Escrito originalmente por AngelicaDeAlquezar

¡Cierto!

Correction to my own sentence:

Spiders are not insects. The latter have six feet, the former have eight.
Las arañas no son insectos. Éstos/los últimos/estos últimos tienen seis patas; aquéllas/las otras/las primeras tienen ocho.


Gracias, Hernán.

De nada. Sra/Srta?

[laepelba]

A related question, then, would be about the English word "respectively". Does it work the same way in Spanish with the word "respectivamente"?

For example:
In France, Denmark and Russia, they speak French, Danish and Russian, respectively.
En Francia, Dinamarca y Rusia, se habla Francés, Danés y Ruso, respectivamente.

¿Es correcto?

[chileno]

Escrito originalmente por laepelba

A related question, then, would be about the English word "respectively". Does it work the same way in Spanish with the word "respectivamente"?

For example:
In France, Denmark and Russia, they speak French, Danish and Russian, respectively.
En Francia, Dinamarca y Rusia, se habla Francés, Danés y Ruso, respectivamente.

¿Es correcto?

Yes Ma'am!

[CrOtALiTo]

Escrito originalmente por chileno

Yes Ma'am!

What do you want to mean with Ma'am?

I didn't understand your commentary

[laepelba]

Escrito originalmente por CrOtALiTo

What do you want to mean with Ma'am?

I didn't understand your commentary

"Yes, Ma'am" is a more polite way of saying "yes". It would be like saying "Yes, señorita/señora".

[CrOtALiTo]

Escrito originalmente por laepelba

"Yes, Ma'am" is a more polite way of saying "yes". It would be like saying "Yes, señorita/señora".

I got it.

[laepelba]

Escrito originalmente por CrOtALiTo

I got it.

In fact, "I got it" is one of the few times in English where you can drop the subject pronoun ... you can say "Got it!" and it is understood that "I got it." ..... and it sounds better, too.