Ask a Question

(Create a thread)
Go Back   Spanish language learning forums > Spanish & English Languages > Grammar


Cómo and como

 

This is the place for questions about conjugations, verb tenses, adverbs, adjectives, word order, syntax and other grammar questions for English or Spanish.


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old August 16, 2009, 11:15 AM
Chris's Avatar
Chris Chris is offline
Pearl
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Mississippi USA
Posts: 215
Native Language: American English
Chris is on a distinguished road
Cómo and como

So from taking Spanish in school we were to say "Como se llama?" but comer is to eat so when saying I eat you conjugate it to como correct? Then how are these said to distinguish between the two? Can you help me sound these out?
Reply With Quote
   
Get rid of these ads by registering for a free Tomísimo account.
  #2  
Old August 16, 2009, 11:52 AM
Rusty's Avatar
Rusty Rusty is offline
Señor Speedy
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 11,299
Native Language: American English
Rusty has a spectacular aura aboutRusty has a spectacular aura about
Como means I eat (I am eating).
It also means how (and sometimes what).
It is also the word for as, or like.

All are pronounced exactly the same way.
Context is the key to knowing which of the meanings is conveyed.

The stressed vowel is marked with an accent when the word means how/what:
¿Cómo se llama? = How do you call yourself (What is your name)?
¿Me puedes enseñar cómo hacerlo? = Can you show me how to do it?

The word doesn't have a written accent when it is used as a verb or a conjunction:
No como como él. = I don't eat like he does.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old August 16, 2009, 01:24 PM
Chris's Avatar
Chris Chris is offline
Pearl
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Mississippi USA
Posts: 215
Native Language: American English
Chris is on a distinguished road
Ah I see. In the last example it wouldn't be "No como coma él." or even "No como coma."?

Sorry to be asking what are probably very simple questions.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old August 16, 2009, 02:26 PM
bobjenkins's Avatar
bobjenkins bobjenkins is offline
Diamond
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: España próximamente??
Posts: 2,923
Native Language: Inglés
bobjenkins is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris View Post
Ah I see. In the last example it wouldn't be "No como coma él." or even "No como coma."?

Sorry to be asking what are probably very simple questions.
No problema, es bueno que quieras aprender

No como (I don't eat) como (as/like) él (him)
__________________
"There´s always money in the banana stand michael!"
--george bluthe sir
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old August 08, 2010, 06:22 PM
laepelba's Avatar
laepelba laepelba is offline
Diamond
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Suburbs of Washington, DC (Northern Virginia)
Posts: 4,683
Native Language: American English (Northeastern US)
laepelba is on a distinguished road
I was wandering around a bit and stumbled on this thread. I'm sure you've moved WAY past this at this point, but I thought it would be fun to point out the following little joke I've heard in Spanish (from some Peruvian friends of mine).

¿Cómo "¿cómo como?"? ¡Como como como!
(What do you mean, "how do I eat?"? I eat the way I eat!)

__________________
- Lou Ann, de Washington, DC, USA
Específicamente quiero recibir ayuda con el español de latinoamerica. ¡Muchísimas gracias!
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old August 08, 2010, 06:53 PM
Chris's Avatar
Chris Chris is offline
Pearl
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Mississippi USA
Posts: 215
Native Language: American English
Chris is on a distinguished road
Yo tomado un descanso por aprendiendo español. No estoy remoto por este.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old August 08, 2010, 07:00 PM
laepelba's Avatar
laepelba laepelba is offline
Diamond
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Suburbs of Washington, DC (Northern Virginia)
Posts: 4,683
Native Language: American English (Northeastern US)
laepelba is on a distinguished road
Oh, no! I didn't realize you were taking a break... Don't make it a permanent one. We enjoy you around here.
__________________
- Lou Ann, de Washington, DC, USA
Específicamente quiero recibir ayuda con el español de latinoamerica. ¡Muchísimas gracias!
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old August 08, 2010, 07:19 PM
Chris's Avatar
Chris Chris is offline
Pearl
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Mississippi USA
Posts: 215
Native Language: American English
Chris is on a distinguished road
No, I took a break already. I'm back and ready to learn heh. Sometimes when the going gets tough I get out of town. But now I'm back and determined to not let my life or my frustration get in the way of learning. When I think back to high school only 20 years ago (gah!) I say "Why didn't I study Spanish then?" then I think back to a few years ago and then to a few months ago. So no more wondering how much I would know if I had have stuck to educating myself. Two years from now I don't want to look back and wonder what I could have learned.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old August 08, 2010, 09:27 PM
laepelba's Avatar
laepelba laepelba is offline
Diamond
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Suburbs of Washington, DC (Northern Virginia)
Posts: 4,683
Native Language: American English (Northeastern US)
laepelba is on a distinguished road
Take it from a teacher who is probably about as old as you are and is self-educating the Spanish ... you were probably not mature enough to have been educating yourself through your 20's and a lot of your 30's. Now you are probably beginning to see a positive shift in your priorities, right? Just guessing...
__________________
- Lou Ann, de Washington, DC, USA
Específicamente quiero recibir ayuda con el español de latinoamerica. ¡Muchísimas gracias!
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old August 09, 2010, 02:27 AM
JPablo's Avatar
JPablo JPablo is offline
Diamond
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Southern California
Posts: 5,579
Native Language: Spanish (Castilian, peninsular)
JPablo is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by laepelba View Post
¿Cómo "¿cómo como?"? ¡Como como como!
(What do you mean, "how do I eat?"? I eat the way I eat!)
Hi there!
Yes, I knew that one too... (it is the first thing I was going to put/say when I saw the title of the thread...) It is funny.

I just remembered too, that "Como" is a city in Italy (just north Milano-Monza, and south of the "Lago di Como", the lake of the same name), and there is a couple of tongtwisters that read,

¿Cómo en Como come Ud?,
¿Cómo, que cómo como en Como?,
como en Como como en Como como,
como en Como como en Como come Ud.

(I said "read" because you can read them easily... no so easy to say, even for native speakers!)

Si yo como como como,
y tu comes como comes.
¿Cómo comes como como?,
si yo como como como.

(If any trouble with the first, translate it into English, and you'll see how the meaning goes... then it will be easier to say it...)
__________________
Lo propio de la verdad es que se basta a sí misma, aquel que la posee no intenta convencer a nadie.
"An enemy is somebody who flatters you. A friend is somebody who criticizes the living daylights out of you."
Reply With Quote
Reply

 

Link to this thread
URL: 
HTML Link: 
BB Code: 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Site Rules

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Parece como tonto pero sin el como ROBINDESBOIS Idioms & Sayings 11 July 20, 2009 06:03 PM
Te como! Jane Idioms & Sayings 9 May 13, 2009 08:20 PM
Tal y como poli Idioms & Sayings 11 February 13, 2009 08:48 AM
Tanto como / As much... as... Alfonso Grammar 22 May 09, 2008 02:39 PM
como se dise itzemendoza Vocabulary 2 July 24, 2006 08:08 PM


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:35 AM.

Forum powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

X