Carrera

Carrera
 

This is a discussion thread for the Daily Spanish Word for November 13, 2009

carrera (feminine noun (la)) — race, career. Look up carrera in the dictionary

Ya había llegado la mayoría de los corredores, pero se canceló la carrera a causa de lluvia.
Most of the runners had already arrived, but the race was canceled due to rain.

Is it really "había", or should it be "habían"? Does "había" agree with "la mayoría" or with "los corredores"?

Con "la mayoría". Está bien.

Both are right (I've heard it in both ways), though "habían" would be more common:

la mitad de los animales, la mayoría de los profesores, una minoría de los presentes, el resto de los libros, el diez por ciento de los votantes, un grupo de alumnos, un montón de cosas, infinidad de amigos, multitud de problemas, etc. La mayor parte de estos cuantificadores admiten la concordancia con el verbo tanto en singular como en plural, dependiendo de si se juzga como núcleo del sujeto el cuantificador singular o el sustantivo en plural que especifica su referencia, siendo mayoritaria, en general, la concordancia en plural

http://buscon.rae.es/dpdI/SrvltConsu...a=concordancia

(punto 4.8)

:)

The DailyWord bot originally had it as "habían" and the supreme editor at large changed it to "había". :p

Just out of curiosity, can someone tell me how 'runway' and 'catwalk' would be translated in Spanish? (Speaking of carreras.. :D :rolleyes:)

Around here it's pasarela

Ok, ¡muchas gracias poli! :) :rose:

Props to the editor at large! :raisetheroof:

What do you mean? I don't understand you :thinking:
Thanks :)

:D

I think Lou Ann is giving a compliment (or 'kudos') in a somewhat informal way to the 'supreme editor at large' (who I assume to be Rusty in this case :D ).

I.e. : well done to Rusty for having changed what the bot originally stated falsely (depending on perspective, alledgedly). :D

It wasn't me.

Yup - thanks, Laura, for beating me to the explanation. By the way, I figured it was David ....... Interesting how anonymous some things are.....

:D Right.. (I somehow tend to never believe people who say that.:D :D)

Ok the other supreme editor at large then...:p

@ ¡Lou Ann: no hay de qué! :thumbsup:

You can say both "había" and "habían". There's not anything wrong :)

The runners reached the goal in their competence.

The Spanish word competencia translates to two different words in English: competition and competence
The two English words mean very different things. The first one is what you meant to use (it comes from the verb compete (competir)). The second one has to do with capacidad.

Oh.

I see the difference, really I didn't know it, thank you very much for the great support.

I will write another example.

The runners will reach the great Chine wall in the wonderful competition of the 2010 year.