Having trouble with Spanish Expressions

[Wahooka]

Hola! Que tal?

I'm reading a Spanish comic book, and I'm having some trouble with Spanish expressions which translate very strangely into English.

For instance:

puedo que no = I can that no

Acabara usted de una vez = You will finish of a time

Que llega mi amiga = what arrives my friend

Pero tampoco he conseguido pejar ojo = but neither have I managed to hit eye.

Vaya a dormir la mona = go to sleep the monkey


Can somone help me with these expressions?

[aleCcowaN]

It seems you're using a dictionary to translate word by word.

There was a comic strip that did that in a Buenos Aires newspaper in English language. For instance, "knock, knock!" on the door, "between no more!", word by word translation of "(formal You) Come in now!".

To help you understand:

de una vez = "at once", "for good".
dormir la mona = to sleep something off (generally alcohol)
no pegar el ojo = not sleep a wink

[Wahooka]

Thanks, that helps a lot.

Any idea about "puede que no".

I think it means "maybe so", but I have no idea how I would have figured that out from the literal translation :)

[Rusty]

puede que no = it may not be (so)

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Wahooka: Heads up.
The right spelling matters a lot. "Puede que no" is not the same as "puedo que no"; the first one has the meaning Rusty said, but the first one makes no sense.
Also, written accents are important "acabara" is a different conjugation to "acabará".
And "pejar" is not a word in Spanish, but "pegar" is.

By the way, "que llega mi amiga" means "my friend is arriving"; "que" is used here as a filling word, with no particular meaning.

:)

[Wahooka]

Yes, I believe I spelled everything correctly, except leaving out the important accent for future tense.

Thanks for the translations.

Using a dictionary doesn't work to translate expressions, as you said.

Is there any better way to get a translation besides bothering you guys? :)

Perhaps a good book of expressions that you recommend?

[aleCcowaN]

That's what forums are made for. Ask here, but better look things up before a little bit -or just try once- using the search engine or Google because a lot of expressions have been already explained (but nobody minds to repeat those explanations unless there's a perception the poster is systematically trying to move all the work load onto those giving the answers)

[Julvenzor]

A general recommendation is to try to diferenciate among the different components of a sentence. Most of the time, an idiom hasn't a literal translation.

Cheers!

[Wahooka]

Yes, google sometimes can help, and sometimes you can figure out what the expression means using logic.

I was reading my Spanish comic today, and came across a few more, hope you dont mind helping.

"Vaya sitio que ha elegido" -(the word "vaya" being here is totally puzzling to me, since it doesn't fit in with the sentence at all. The character is referring to a a bull that is blocking a road.)

"Esta si que es buena" - tried to break it down, but it doesn't make much sense in the context of the story.

Thank you very much, muchos gracias.

[aleCcowaN]

"Vaya" is an interjection we use to express disbelief, surprise, irritation, satisfaction. It means something has caused an impression either much positive or negative that what would be expected.

You can also use "vaya" as an adjective meaning "qué" and conveying the same meaning in the paragraph above. This is the case of your example

¡Qué sitio que ha elegido!
¡Vaya sitio que ha elegido! (what an annoyance!)

[Wahooka]

"What an annoying place he has chosen"

Is that a good translation?

He is angry that a bull is blocking his path.

What about the second phrase?

"Esta si que es buena"?

[wrholt]

"What an annoying place he has chosen"

Is that a good translation?

He is angry that a bull is blocking his path.

What about the second phrase?

"Esta si que es buena"?

Perhaps "si" should be written "sí" (accent mark on the vowel) = "yes" or "indeed" (adds positive emphasis), in which case the sentence could mean: "That one is good" or "That one really is good".

[Wahooka]

Thanks very much for the translations.

I have a few more puzzling ones from the comic book:


1. Si te parece lo intentaremos, pero estoy seguro de su respuesta.

(I translate this as: "If you seem we will try it, but i am sure of your response.")

2. Hay que mirar por donde se va

(I translate as "There is that to see for where he leaves")

3. Ustedes han preguntado el camino a alguien, y el me lo ha dicho.

I translate as "You have asked the road to somebody, and I have heard it"


I guess these literal translations make no sense, but I don't know how else to decipher it.

Thanks.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

1) "his" or "her" reply.


Hint for 2): This looks like an online translation. :thinking:
The sentence is a warning about watching your steps.


Question for 3): How did you arrive from "y él me lo ha dicho" to "I have heard it"? :thinking:

[aleCcowaN]

Si te parece = if you agree; if it suits you; if it doesn't bother you (depending on the context)

Hay = there is, there are
Hay (followed by a phrase linked by the conjunction "que) = We must, we should, We ought to -it expresses obligation in an impersonal way-.

se va = -also in an impersonal way- you take/follow (a path)

Hay que mirar por dónde se va ---> it may mean many different things in Spanish, depending on the context. "You have to watch the path you're taking" and "you have to carefully select the path you're gonna take" are two of them. Context is everything and somewhat you are asking things deprived of any context in a way you are passing the burden onto who is willing to answer your questions. Keep it in mind.

[Wahooka]

1) "his" or "her" reply.


Hint for 2): This looks like an online translation. :thinking:
The sentence is a warning about watching your steps.


Question for 3): How did you arrive from "y él me lo ha dicho" to "I have heard it"? :thinking:


1. Don't understand your hint - His or her?

2. Yes, I think I now understand. thanks.

3. Sorry, not "I have heard it" but "and he has said it to me".

Si te parece = if you agree; if it suits you; if it doesn't bother you (depending on the context)

Hay = there is, there are
Hay (followed by a phrase linked by the conjunction "que) = We must, we should, We ought to -it expresses obligation in an impersonal way-.

se va = -also in an impersonal way- you take/follow (a path)

Context is everything and somewhat you are asking things deprived of any context in a way you are passing the burden onto who is willing to answer your questions. Keep it in mind.

Thanks, understanding what "hay que" means, makes all the difference in understanding the sentence. I need to learn those types of expressions.

I'm sorry to deprive you of context. I can explain the context next time.

[Wahooka]

I am encountering so many difficult sentences in my Spanish comic book. Every page has a sentence that I don't understand, even if I know what the words mean.

I have about 10 more, and I'm starting to think that I might just need to talk to a teacher.

Necessito un maestro. ?Estamos de acuerdo?

What do you suggest?

[Rusty]

If you know what the words mean, but they don't make sense, you could be dealing with a set phrase or a saying or an idiomatic expression.

A teacher may not be necessary (there's only one 's' in the Spanish word, by the way).
There are several places online that might help you, including this one. :)
Someone already said it above, but you need to home in on (isolate) the part that doesn't make sense sometimes, and then do a search online. For instance, 'hay que' didn't make sense to you, but searching on ' "hay que" english ' will get you to the sites that can help you understand it. If searching fails you, create a thread here.

It would be great if you start a new thread for each of the phrases you don't understand.
The phrase you don't understand makes a good thread title. That way, other people who run into the same phrase can search the web and find the thread you created with the answer right in it.
Place the context (all the stuff around the phrase you don't understand) in the post. That will help us with our answers.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

1. Don't understand your hint - His or her?
You translated "If you seem we will try it, but i am sure of your response", so I said the translation was "his"/"her" (depending on the character's genre) instead of "your", and "reply" instead of "response". :)



I am encountering so many difficult sentences in my Spanish comic book. Every page has a sentence that I don't understand, even if I know what the words mean.

I have about 10 more, and I'm starting to think that I might just need to talk to a teacher.

Necesito un maestro. ¿Estamos de acuerdo?

What do you suggest?


I agree with Rusty. I will just add that the problem with comics, TV shows, newspapers, etc., is that they're full of idioms and colloquialisms that native speakers usually find obvious.

But even though you might need a formal course of Spanish, that doesn't necessarily guarantee that you'll understand so many set phrases and colloquial expressions immediately. It's a matter of getting used to the language and learning those constructions the way you're finding them, one by one. Patience and work are the only things that make people learn a language. :)

[Wahooka]

Do you guys really think I should start 10 different threads for each phrase?

I will do it, but I hope they don't think I'm spamming the website.

When you see the sentences, you will see they are odd constructions and unusual phrasing. Yes, comic books feature a lot of these types of phrases.

I've noticed that a lot of these sentences do have strange use of common words like "asi" or "de" or "que" or "hay" or "tan" or "no".

True, you can google "hay que" and it tells you the english, but most parts of expressions you put into google won't translate.

Here is a quick one:

"No tan de prisa".

The context: A man is walking ahead of them.

This could mean "Don't be in a hurry" or "No reason to be in a hurry" or "He isn't in a hurry".

The use of "no" is different in english, so english speakers won't know how to translate this.

Okay, I'll post the rest in different threads, if you want.

Thanks for your help.