Too?

[caliber1]

So, I find myself in situations at work where I want to say something is
"too (insert adjective). " How would I do that. I don't know if it changes depending on what is being talked about so could someone translate a couple, simple senteces for me?

She is too tall. Ella estaalta.

It is too hot outside. Estacaliente afuera.


Also, would the location change ever? Thanks in advance. I have been thinking about this all day to ask you guys.

[Rusty]

Use demasiado.

She is too tall. Ella es demasiado alta.
It is too hot outside. Hace demasiado calor.

[caliber1]

Demasiado. Got it! Now that does not change with the word "too" when it is used to mean as well/also right? That's just gonna stay "tambien".

Yo pienso tambien que ella esta demasiado alta.

[wrholt]

'Demasiado' = too much, and it may be either an adjective modifying a noun, or it may be an adverb modifying an adjective, a verb or another adverb. When it is an adjective, it must agree in person and number with the noun. When it is an adverb it is invariable.

1. Anoche la policía vino para cerrar la discoteca porque habían entrado demasiadas personas. (adjective)
2. No quise comprar esas manzanas porque eran demasiado caras. (adverb)

[caliber1]

1. Last night the police came to close the night club because too many people had entered.

2. I didn't want to buy those apples because they were too expensive.

That makes sense. Is it used very often? I feel like I don't hear people at work say it very much is why I ask.

[Rusty]

That's about the only way to say it.

[caliber1]

Mañana me voy usarlo mucho para no olvidarlo

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by caliber1

Mañana me voy a usarlo mucho para no olvidarlo

Good! That will make it permanent.

Remember to use the right verb:
ser alta (definitive characteristic - usual or expected height)
estar alta (taller than expected; to be high (up))

[caliber1]

Ok. Thanks Rusty!

[wrholt]

Originally Posted by wrholt

1. Anoche la policía vino para cerrar la discoteca porque habían entrado demasiadas personas. (adjective)
2. No quise comprar esas manzanas porque eran demasiado caras. (adverb)

Originally Posted by caliber1

1. Last night the police came to close the night club because too many people had entered.

2. I didn't want refused to buy those apples because they were too expensive.

In #2, if I had written "No quería comprar", the meaning would have been "didn't want to buy".

[Don José]

I think you use 'too' with two meanings in English. Let me know if I'm wrong:

1. She is too tall = She is very tall.(*)
In this case, I woul say: 'Ella es muy alta."

2. She is too tall to sleep in this bed.
Ella es demasiado alta para dormir en esa cama.
Unlike the first example, here she needn't be very tall. You are just comparing her height with the bed lenght. The bed could be a bed for babies.

If you see a girl and say: '(ella) es demasiado alta', you'll be asked: '¿demasiado alta para qué? / too tall for what?'

If a film director is looking for an actress and somebody suggests to employ a girl, he could say: '(ella) es demasiado alta', meaning that she is tall in relation to the character he has in mind. In fact, she could be short in stature, but not short enough for what he's looking for.

Remember to use the right verb:
ser alta (definitive characteristic - usual or expected height)
estar alta (taller than expected; to be high (up))

I'd say you use 'estar alta' for an indefinite charactheristic rather than for 'taller than expected'.

You say 'los batussi son muy altos' / 'Watusi are very tall', but not 'los batussi están muy altos', even if you don't expect them to be so tall.

Examples for 'estar muy alta':

Esta niña está muy alta / this child is very tall.

As she is growing in stature, that's indefinite. People use this sentence when they haven't seen a child for a while and the child has grown. They wouldn't say it for adults as their stature is not expected to change (then stature becomes definitive).

No puedo coger el libro porque está muy alto / I can't take the book because it's very high.

The book is on a high shelve, but it could be on a lower one, so its position is indefinite.







*I wonder wether 'too tall' means taller than 'very tall'. Suddenly, I'm not certain about the difference between "too" (not being too+adj+to) and "very".

[poli]

En estes casos too siempre significa en exceso. Too no significa very.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Don José

I think you use 'too' with two meanings in English. Let me know if I'm wrong:

Actually, there are three meanings of too:

1) as an intensifier, meaning excessively: You are too nice

2) in excess: You are too late

There is a third meaning too:
3) in addition, furthermore: I will have a cup of tea too.

Although meaning 1) does exist, it sounds very antiquated and high register even for BrE, so I can understand Poli when he says that it is not used thus.

I have to say that although theoretically too = demasiado, there are very many instances when demasiado is not used when you expect it. I don't have figures, but I would guess that where too is used ten times, demasiado is used only once. Others may disagree, but I've come across glaring examples where demasiado is avoided, for example:

Would Thursday be too late for you? translated as
¿te parecería muy tarde el jueves?

These shoes are too big
estos zapatos me quedan grandes

You are too kind
¡qué amable eres!

four mistakes? That's four too many
¿quatro faltas? son cuatro faltas de más

only too often
muy a menudo

(Gran Diccionario Oxford)

[Don José]

I hardly can see the difference between the words "excessivelly" and "in excess", but I think I caugh up the idea.

Would Thursday be too late for you?
¿te parecería muy tarde el jueves?

These shoes are too big
estos zapatos me quedan grandes

In these examples, 'demasiado' would sound well. Their meaning would be 'meaning 2'. I wonder why the Gran Diccionario Oxford don´t like 'demasiado' in them.

You are too kind
¡qué amable eres!

I think this is "meaning 1". Couldn´t you say "very kind" (although antiquated)? You don´t use 'demasiado' here, because it would sound as something negative. If you say 'tú eres demasiado amable', you mean that you think the other person shouldn´t be so kind. You can say it, for example, to somebody who is always polite and ready to help others in spite of the others behaving badly to him.

four mistakes? That's four too many
¿quatro faltas? son cuatro faltas de más

Here I´m not sure about the exact meaning of 'that´s four too many'.

only too often
muy a menudo

Here I`d say it´s 'meaning 1' again (very often?), and so 'demasiado' can´t be used. If you say 'demasiado a menudo' it´s got again a negative meaning.

Él viaja (travells) demasiado a menudo.

In this case, he shouldn´t travell so often. By the way, I would say just 'Él viaja demasiado'.

[poli]

Too usually is negative when it means in excess.
Too fat
Too skinny
Too old
Too young
Too big
Too small
etc.
None of them are positive unless used ironically.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Perikles

You are too kind
¡qué amable eres!

Originally Posted by Don José

I think this is "meaning 1". Couldn´t you say "very kind" (although antiquated)? You don´t use 'demasiado' here, because it would sound as something negative. If you say 'tú eres demasiado amable', you mean that you think the other person shouldn´t be so kind.

This is an interesting nuance. The English "you are too kind" would not be interpreted as a negative, simply that "you are kind to an extent which I do not deserve". i.e. self-deprecation as a compliment to the other. This seems not the case in Spanish.

I should add that this "too kind" as a "very kind" can very much depend on context as to whether it is meant sincerely or sarcastically. All kinds of nuances there.