How do you say...

How do you say...
 

This is just some random stuff that I'm trying to figure out how to say. Anyone feel free to help me with any of all of it.


1. How do you say that you "do" or "practice" something. For instance, "I practice karate" or "I race cars" or "I fly planes." Also, is this different when it refers to sports, like "I play basketball" or "I play hockey"?

2. How do you say that something "looks" a certain way. For instance, "He looks crazy," "She looks sad," "The car looks like it's in bad shape." I guess this could also be "to seem," which it seems like I learned at some point, but I have forgotten.

3. What is the phrase that means "to mock"/"to make fun of" etc. Use it in a sentence.

4. How do you say "I write for" i.e. "I write for a magazine", "I write for Newsweek" etc.

5. Is there Spanish slang for "bad"? i.e. Instead of saying "that's bad" you say "that sucks"? This is based on a real-life experience. I was talking to a Spanish-speaking friend of mine and her phone was breaking up in a serious way. And all I could say was "Tú teléfono es malo." But I would have loved to have been able to say, "Your phone sucks."

Any insight on the grammar would also be fabulous.

1. Practico karate
Compito en carreras de carros/automóviles
Vuelo/piloto aviones (verbo "pilotar)
Juego al baloncesto
Juego al Hockey

2. (Él) parece loco
(Él/ella) parece/se nota/se ve triste
El carro parece/se ve en mal estado/se nota que el carro está en mal estado (the second sentence changes construction as you can see)

3. Burlarse/mofarse/reírse de alguien o de algo = Los chicos se burlaron/mofaron/rieron de los pantalones del maestro.

4. Escribo para una revista - Escribo para Newsweek.

5. Tu teléfono apesta. The way I'd normally say this is "¡Qué teléfono tan malo tienes!" or "deberías cambiar ese teléfono" or something like that :D

Awesome. Thanks for the response.

Regarding "Practico karate." Wouldn't that mean "practice" in the literal sense, i.e. to do something to get better at it? I'm thinking more along the lines of how a dentist "practices dentistry." That is, it is something that he does. That is, not literally to "practice" karate, but to "do" karate.

"Practicar karate" (or "kárate" in Spain) is not like "practicar la medicina" but it's not "practise makes you perfect" either. It's more like "exercise; put into practise what you have learnt".

Ah, thanks. I think I understand.

So if I said, "Practico karate," then a native speaker would understand that to mean, "Karate is an interest of mine, it's something I'm involved in, it's something I do regularly". . .?

Yes, "ejercitarse", "cultivar una disciplina" and "poner en práctica lo aprendido" are what encompasses "practicar un deporte": train regularly, learn and be abode by the rules and philosophy of the sport, always use what you have learnt and also improve your skills continually. "Practicar" has many meanings, the same way "practise/practice" has, but I'm not sure they are 100% the same. "Practicar" involves performing activities, going beyond pure theory and being the embodiment of professions and disciplines: "Conozco a uno que practica la medicina. Es cirujano y hoy practicó una incisión con un escalpelo".

Okay, thanks. That's very helpful.

At the same time practicar also means "to practice" in the usual sense of trying to get better at something, correct?

That is, you could say, "Practico karate todos los dias" and it is correct, right?

¿Uds. no usan bisturí?

Alec's answer was thorough and to the point.

Yes, that is correct. :)

Sí, "bisturí" también se usa. Ambas palabras son correctas.

:)

Yes, but I'd say "practico karate" and "entreno todos los días", "hace una semana que no entreno pero desde luego sigo practicando karate" or "hace mucho que no entreno y le he perdido un poco la práctica, pero toda mi vida he practicado el karate", sort of riding a bicycle <It's difficult to me convey the nuance in English>

Yes, but "escalpelo" is a sort of "bisturí" and much similar to English scalpel. While giving examples I rather choose terms that are similar in English as this allows to give complex examples to intermediate students and even to beginners.

Okay, got some more random stuff here:


1. What is the meaning of "Qué chiste"? I was told that it means "What a joke!" as in "That's ridiculous!" Is this the case? And if so, is there any difference between chiste and broma?


2. How do you say that something is "finished" or "done"? i.e. The food is done/ready . . . The painting is done/finished . . . I finished the book, etc.


3. I read something earlier that indicated that "tener" can not only refer to possession, but also to the English usage of "having to do something."

For instance, one of the phrases was, "Tú no tienes que adelgazar," which is translated as, "You don't have to lose weight."

Can someone elaborate on the uses of Tener?


4. How do you say you are going to do something? Is it "Voy a"?

For instance, would "I am going to send you an e-mail" be Voy a enviar un e-mail?

1. "Chiste" and "broma" are not the same. "Chiste" is used when you're telling a joke: "Te voy a contar un chiste". "Broma" is a practical joke or a prank: "Le jugó una broma".

2. The food is done/ready = la comida está lista
The painting is done/finished = la pintura está terminada
I finished the book = Terminé/acabé el libro

3. Yes, tener is one of the two verbs in Spanish that mean "to have". One is the auxiliary "haber" that's used with a past participle: "He terminado de leer el libro" = "I have finished reading the book".
The other one is "tener" that means possession: "ella tiene un gatito" = "she has a kitty", but it also means having to do something, just like in English: "I have to go" = "tengo que ir"

EDIT:

:)

Thanks, Luna. You are incredibly helpful as always.

So chiste refers to telling a joke. . . What about the phrase "Qué chiste"? What is the meaning?

Also, regarding "Te voy a enviar un e-mail," could it also be written, "Voy a enviarte un e-mail"? Or did I just totally screw that up?

"Chiste" may be used as the interest, curiosity, attention something deserves or creates.

·Qué chiste tiene recibir un regalo sin envolver. -> There's no fun in receiving a present without wrapping.
·Armar un rompecabezas de cien piezas no tiene chiste. -> Putting together a 100 piece puzzle is not interesting.


Te voy a enviar un e-mail = Voy a enviarte un e-mail. :good:

Okay, thanks a bunch. That helps a lot.

It's interesting the stuff you just sort of pick up along the way when trying to learn a language. I really don't know much about pronouns beyond the standard yo, tú, nosotros, etc. But I was talking with my friend the other day and I asked her how to say "to hear you" in Spanish, and she said escucharte. So I was like, If "to hear you" is escucharte then "send to you" must be enviarte.

You already got Angelica's answer which is, of course, perfectly correct..:)

I don't think you understood me.

=

Pienso que no me entendiste.


Is that correct?

Yes, it is. :)

Thanks. It's slowly coming together.

How about, "At least a little"? For instance, "You liked the book at least a little bit right?"

Would that be: "¿Quieres el libro por lo menos un poco, no?"

Or am I trying to translate too literally again?

Not literally at all...

Quieres = you want / you love (a person)

Te gustó el libro, por lo menos / al menos un poco, ¿no?

You can take a look on the uses of verb "gustar" here, here and here. :)