Tapar

Tapar
 

This is a discussion thread for the Daily Spanish Word for January 11, 2010

tapar (verb) — to cover, hide, veil, stop, block, cement. Look up tapar in the dictionary

Cuando llega el invierno, tapo mis plantas con una sábana, para que no se quemen con el frío.
When winter comes I cover my plants with a sheet so they won't get frostbitten.

El contador de la empresa tapa los robos del gerente, manipulando los números.
The firm's bookkeeper conceals the manager's theft by manipulating the numbers.

Las mujeres del Medio Oriente tapan su rostro.
Women in the Middle East cover their faces.

Taparon el pozo la semana pasada.
The well was cemented over last week.

No vayas por la avenida, porque está tapada.
Don't use the main avenue because it's blocked.

Esta crema no tapa los poros.
This cream doesn't clog your pores.

Tápate bien, que hace mucho frío.
Wear warm clothes because it's really cold out.

Two questions about this particular example:
1) Why "su" and not "el"? I thought that the indefinite article is to be used for body parts, and not the personal possessive. "The face..." instead of "her/their face..." ??? :?:
2) Why singular? Why not "las mujeres del Medio Oriente tapan sus/los rostros"? :?:

Another question about the word "tapar". Is it similar in meaning to "ocultar"? What are the subtleties in differences in their meanings and usages? :?:

¿Éste es un regionalismo? Aquí oígo más "cortada" (o "tancat", pero eso es valencià ;)).

I think of "tapar" primarily as "to cover", "to put a lid on", or "to plug".

I didn't know that the word Cover means tapar.

Then can I say this.

I covered my car because was raining.

I cover my juice because there are a lot dust in the street.


I will appreciate the support gave here in the forums.

Please you correcting me if you have time.

Corrections in red.

And how about ocultar?

:):):)

Edit: oops there is a lot of dust

I think there is an overlap between them, but ocultar can also mean to conceal:

tras esa sonrisa se oculta una mala intención

whereas tapar just means to cover up physically. :thinking::)

Edit: if you wanted to cover your car up to protect it from rain and dust, you would use tapar. If you wanted to hide it from thieves, you would use ocultar

That last part helped me with the subtle difference. Thanks!

How about my other questions?

(By the way, I don't necessarily agree with your ":good::good:" for Crotalito's sentences... Sorry. :()

I really don't mind - what's the problem?

As for your other questions, which I thought were very good ones, I'm waiting for a Spanish speaker to answer.:)

See my corrections (two above yours)....

Hey you're right - I never noticed the missing it. But I've never heard that use of out. :)

Yeah, we'd say "it's raining out" or "it's snowing out" or "it's sunny out" or "it's cloudy out". I think it's probably a useless phrase, given that it had better NOT be raining INSIDE my house (!!), but definitely something that is said frequently.

Remember the table I did. There you'll find your asnwer.

The table you did about "mi misma", etc.? Here: http://forums.tomisimo.org/showpost....63&postcount=8 ???

Huh? I don't see what any of the possessive articles have to do with the fact that I thought that body parts were not supposed to use possessive articles, but definite articles. :?::?::?::?::?::?::?:

Isn't it supposed to be: Me duele la boca. (In English, we say "MY mouth hurts") I thought that it was always impersonal when talking about parts of the body. Where is the answer to that in your chart?

And the same with the question about singular vs. plural. I don't know what I'm supposed to be looking at in your chart to find the answer to that.

Now I'm even more confused. :thinking::thinking::thinking:

@Lou Ann:

Maybe someone can give a good grammar explanation for this, but this is how we say the same thing:

Las mujeres en Medio Oriente se tapan el rostro.

Las mujeres en Medio Oriente tapan su rostro. = Las mujeres en Medio Oriente tapan sus rostros.
(You don't have to refer to each one of their faces, but it's the same meaning if you do.)

Sorry. I did not read thoroughly. Angelica answered this already.

Thank you for the support.

I covered my car because it was raining out.

I will cover my computer because there is a lot dust in the street.


I appreciate your support.

Hola,

No tapes la salida porque la gente tiene que escapar en caso de un fuego inicia

Tapáis la fuga ahora , ¡vamos a naufragar!

Tapa la comida , se pondrá podrida

Good work, Bob. :)

Corrections above.

Muchas gracias!:)

No problem, Crotalito. Don't forget the "of" after "a lot" (see above).

Thanks, Malila. So is it the sense of the passive voice vs. the active voice? Así:

"Las mujeres en Medio Oriente se tapan el rostro" is roughly like saying "The faces of [...] are covered." (More passive...)

"Las mujeres en Medio Oriente tapan su rostro. = Las mujeres en Medio Oriente tapan sus rostros" is roughly like saying "[...] cover their faces."

??