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- - "Algo" as "somewhat" (https://forums.tomisimo.org/showthread.php?t=10424)

"Algo" as "somewhat"

"Algo" as "somewhat"

In the RAE, the fourth definition for "algo" is:

Quote:

4. adv. c. Un poco, no completamente o del todo, hasta cierto punto.
Anda algo escaso de dinero.
Se franqueó algo conmigo.
Entiende algo el latín.

Do the three sample sentences mean (more or less) the following?
He is somewhat short of money.
He confided something with me.
I understand a bit of Latin.

I want to make sure that I am using the construction "algo" as the equivalent to the English "somewhat" correctly. Here are some attempts. Please comment on whether my attempts are correct, and if you have more examples for me, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!!!

Estoy algo preocupada.
Él sigue estar algo verde porque tiene paneles solares en su casa.
El muchacho estuvo algo borracho cuando salió la fiesta.
La lectura habló en una manera algo convincente.
Mi hermano juega algo bien.
Apruebo algo de este plano.
Ella piensa que el examen era algo más fácil que él.
Él es algo como mi amigo Rafael.

Quote:

Originally Posted by laepelba (Post 106839)

Anda algo escaso de dinero. = He is somewhat short of money. :good:
Se franqueó algo conmigo. = He confided ~~something~~ a little with me.
Entiende algo el latín. = ~~I understand~~ He/she understands a bit of Latin.

[...]
Estoy algo preocupada. :good:
Él sigue estar algo verde porque tiene paneles solares en su casa.
Not sure of what you mean here, but "estar verde" means to be immature or unprepared for some task.
Maybe you want to say something like: "Él pretende ser algo ecologista porque tiene paneles solares en su casa".
El muchacho ~~estuvo~~ estaba algo borracho cuando salió la fiesta.
La lectura habló (Readings can't talk for us... "el profesor" maybe) ;) en de una manera algo convincente.
Mi hermano juega ~~algo~~ más o menos bien. Ambiguity (I've finally learnt the right word): "algo" here would be understood as "something" ("like what?", you'd ask).
Apruebo algo de este plano. "Like what?" again. Reformulating this sentence may make it clearer: "No apruebo del todo este plano".
Ella piensa que el examen era algo más fácil que él. Not wrong, but it sounds strange... maybe something like "El examen se le hizo a ella algo más fácil que a él"... :thinking:
Él es algo como mi amigo Rafael. Do you mean Rafael and "he" are alike?

Comments above :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar (Post 106853)

Él sigue estar algo verde porque tiene paneles solares en su casa.
Not sure of what you mean here, but "estar verde" means to be immature or unprepared for some task.
Maybe you want to say something like: "Él pretende ser algo ecologista porque tiene paneles solares en su casa".
<-- You caught my intention. I wasn't sure about using "verde" like we do "green" in English when we want to describe something as environmentally friendly.
El muchacho estuvo estaba algo borracho cuando salió la fiesta.
La lectura habló (Readings can't talk for us... "el profesor" maybe) ;) en de una manera algo convincente.
<-- Doh! Yes, I was thinking of a speaker at a conference or something similar. At least I got the "algo" part right... :)
Mi hermano juega algo más o menos bien. Ambiguity (I've finally learnt the right word): "algo" here would be understood as "something" ("like what?", you'd ask).
<-- So how would you say something like: "My brother plays somewhat well."?
Apruebo algo de este plano. "Like what?" again. Reformulating this sentence may make it clearer: "No apruebo del todo este plano".
<--Is there no way to use "algo" in this sentence? Like maybe "Algo apruebo de este plano"? Hmmm....
Ella piensa que el examen era algo más fácil que él. Not wrong, but it sounds strange... maybe something like "El examen se le hizo a ella algo más fácil que a él"... :thinking:
<--I totally like your suggestion a zillion times better than how I started...
Él es algo como mi amigo Rafael. Do you mean Rafael and "he" are alike?
<--Yes, that's what I meant. "He" is somewhat like Rafael.

Thanks, Malila!!

"My brother plays somewhat well" has already been corrected: "somewhat" = "más o menos" here.

Same thing about "el plano": if you insist in using "algo", you're suggesting there is something in the plan that you approve, so you'd have to specify what it is. "Algo" there is not modifying the verb, but acting like a noun.
"De alguna manera apruebo el plano" might be an alternative, although it's still not euphonic enough for me. :rolleyes:

Okay - that makes sense. Thanks!