"As long as" - can some one help me with this

[soyricogringo]

is there a frase for (as long as) the only thing I can thnk of is mientras but that doesnt seem right, thanks

[Iris]

I think mientras is the best possible translation for as long as. It can also be si:
e.g. You can go out as long as you promise to be back before 11:00
Puedes salir si me prometes volver antes de las once.

[Rusty]

A general rule for translation of 'as ... as' is 'tan ... como', as in tan largo como mi brazo (as long as my arm) or tan largo como sea posible (as long as possible). There are other forms you can employ, too, like 'tanto ... como', 'siempre que', 'con tal que', 'mientras', 'si', etc.

Here are some ways I could think of to translate 'as long as':
As long as you promise = con tal de que me prometas (or si me prometes, as Iris said)
As long as the war lasted = mientras duró la guerra
Stay as long as you want = quédate todo el tiempo que quieras
As long as you're happy = siempre que seas feliz

[Alfonso]

A very small correction:

Originally Posted by Rusty

As long as you promise = con tal (de) que me prometas (or si me prometes, as Iris said)

I would say con tal de que... Nevertheless, a lot of people omit the preposition de. It's hardly correct. I don't think RAE has already admitted it.
After con tal de que subjunctive is required.

[Tomisimo]

Una pequeñísima corrección:

Originally Posted by Alfonso

I would say con tal de que... Nevertheless, a lot of people omit the preposition de. It's hardly correct. I don't think RAE has already admitted it.
After con tal de que subjunctive is required.

Also, I personally (in my ideolect) wouldn't say It's hardly correct. I'd say It's not really correct.

[Rusty]

Thanks, guys.

[poli]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

A very small correction:


I would say con tal de que... Nevertheless, a lot of people omits the preposition de. It's hardly correct. I don't think RAE has already admitted it.
After con tal de que subjunctive is required.

David is right. It's hardly correct is hardly(broma) used in American
English, but it is understood. You may find hardly used that way more
frequently in Britain. What you really need to pay attention to is the word
already.
This is important. The words already and yet are synonymns,but they work
differently. Yet works with the negative, and already works with the positive. So, you would say, "I dont think RAE has admitted it yet". or
"RAE has yet to admit it" To make it a positive statement you would say,
"RAE has already admitted it." or "RAE has admitted it already.

I think this is a complicated concept, but it's important to know for communication purposes. Don't hesitate to ask if my explanation needs clarification.
In short already translates to ya and yet translates to todavia

Poli

PS: There may be circumstances where yet can be used in the positve and already in the negative, but if you want to
be sure you are understood, follow the example I gave you. In the interrogative form yet and already are interchangable,
but yet is used more frequently. Example:"Have you done your homework yet?" is better than "Have you done your homework already?"

[Alfonso]

Thanks a lot David and Poli,
Some questions come to my mind. I know they are not easy, but I also know you both are clever and good looking .

• A lot of people omit..., but a lot of people is... Aren't a lot of people in both cases third singular persons?
• Poli, your explanation is clear. But you call affirmative phrase to a negative one: I don't think RAE has already admitted it. In this sentence there are two phrases. The main one is a negative one (I don't think), and the subordinated one is an affirmative one (RAE has already admitted it). Can you still say that, in this phrase, affirmative, yet is better than already?

Thanks a lot for your help!

[Rusty]

As far as the 'a lot of' question goes, the solution is to think 'many.' 'Many people are' is another way to say 'a lot of people are.' Alone, the word lot is a singular noun, meaning a unit, or a logical grouping, so there is reason to believe that a singular verb conjugation is needed. However, the phrase 'a lot of' means 'many' and, as such, always requires the plural verb conjugation.

Just to confuse things, if we were to group people together and call that group a lot, then it would be OK to say, "There is a lot of people," just as much as we would say, "There is a lot (a unit) of pills on the shelf." But, we don't usually call a group of people a lot (we don't like to be classified into a unit). Instead, we think about the number of people and say, "There are many (or 'a lot of') people."

[poli]

[quote=Alfonso;6629]Thanks a lot David and Poli,
Some questions come to my mind. I know they are not easy, but I also know you both are clever and good looking .

• A lot of people omit..., but a lot of people is... Aren't a lot of people in both cases third singular persons?
• Poli, your explanation is clear. But you call affirmative phrase to a negative one: I don't think RAE has already admitted it. In this sentence there are two phrases. The main one is a negative one (I don't think), and the subordinated one is an affirmative one (RAE has already admitted it). Can you still say that, in this phrase, affirmative, yet is better than already?

Thanks a lot for your help![/quote

Alfonso
If you are saying "No creo que Rae lo ha permitido todavia" (or something similar) then the way to say it in English is, "I don't think RAE has admitted it yet"or "RAE has yet to admit it." Yet works with the negative much
like todavia. Already works with the positive like ya. If you meant something else, please clarify yourself. I can help

Poli
.

[Alfonso]

OK, Poli, I see: I mean: No creo que la RAE lo haya admitido ya, because, I know usage makes RAE to admit expressions that were not correct before.
Since a lot of people omit preposition de in many contexts, I guess RAE will admit this usage as correct sooner or later.
Is it clear now?
Thanks a lot for your help!

[soyricogringo]

Thank you all. He estado estudiando espano hace mucho tiempo, pero avaces se me olvido las palabras. Gracias y se aprecio mucho.

[poli]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

OK, Poli, I see: I mean: No creo que la RAE lo haya admitido ya, because, I know usage makes RAE to admit expressions that were not correct before.
Since a lot of people omit preposition de in many contexts, I guess RAE will admit this usage as correct sooner or later.
Is it clear now?
Thanks a lot for your help!

Entonces el modo mejor de decirlo en Inglés es I don't think that the
RAE has accepted that use yet. Me parece que se puede decir, No
creo que la RAE lo haya amitido todavia. ¿Verdad? (asi traduce al
Inglés mejor.)

Gracias

Poli

[Alfonso]

In Spanish these two sentences are valid:

• No creo que lo haya admitido ya.
• No creo que lo haya admitido todavía.

Although these two sentences mean differently, this could be possible because in these sentences there are an affirmative phrase and a negative one, and both make their influences over the adverb. But if you turn it into a more simple phrase:

• No lo he admitido ya.
• No lo he admitido todavía /aún.

You notice that all kind of combinations are possible:

• Lo he admitido ya.
• Lo he admitido todavía / aún.

Meaning differently, as much as it happens in English with yet and already (please, check it).

This is because todavía, ya/aún; already, yet have different meanings. They are not the same word changing its form according to the +/- characteristic of the phrase, but they convey different concepts of a period of time.

[poli]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

In Spanish these two sentences are valid:

• No creo que lo haya admitido ya.
• No creo que lo haya admitido todavía.

Although these two sentences mean different things. This could be possible because in these sentences are composed of a negative and positive phrase and both phrases can have their effect over the adverb. But if you turn it into a more simple phrase:

• No lo he admitido ya.
• No lo he admitido todavía /aún.

You notice that all kinds of combinations are possible:

• Lo he admitido ya.
• Lo he admitido todavía / aún.

but with different meanings, much the way it happens in English (but English is more limited) with yet and already (please, check it).

This is because todavía, ya/aún; already, yet have different meanings. They are not the same word changing its form according to the +/- characteristic of the phrase, but they convey different concepts of a period of time.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Alfonso
Eso si es muy intesante. Las palabras todavía y ya tienen mas dimención que las palabras yet and already. En Inglés tiene que traducir la frase "Lo he admitido todavía" asi: It hasn't been accepted yet, and its unlikely that it will be. En Inglés It hasn't been accepted yet es muy neutral. No
indicata la posibilidad si lo admitirá o no.(I suspect the last sentence is gramatically incorrect.)

Poli

[Elaina]

"Alfonso
Eso si es muy intesante. Las palabras todavía y ya tienen mas dimención que las palabras yet and already. En Inglés tiene que traducir la frase "Lo he admitido todavía" asi: It hasn't been accepted yet, and its unlikely that it will be. En Inglés It hasn't been accepted yet es muy neutral. No
indicata la posibilidad si lo admitirá o no.(I suspect the last sentence is gramatically incorrect.)

Poli"

Hola Poli:

Estoy un poco confusa con tu frase......"Lo he admitido todavia" translated as .. "It hasn't been accepted yet, and it's unlikely that it will be".

Estoy de acuerdo que es neutral y no estoy cuestionando esa parte sino la traducción de la frase y el significado.

Para mi, la frase puede decir........

I continue to accept it
I continue to permit it.

I accept it still.
I permit it still.

Is this really what you wanted to say? Maybe I am missing something?

Help!

Elaina

[Alfonso]

Poli, I wrote:

I don't think RAE has already admitted it.

And I mean:
No creo que la Academia lo haya aceptado ya.

But, we simplified the question and said:

• La Academia lo acepta ya. (Es nuevo, pero ya lo acepta).
• La Academia lo acepta todavía. (Es muy viejo, pero aún/todavía lo acepta)

These sentences mean different things. And I guess you can translate both into English using already and yet, and you'll get the same difference of meaning than you've got in Spanish. Am I right?

Think about this other example:

• I already love you.
• I love you yet.

[Elaina]

I already love you........sounds fine

BUT

I love you yet.............not a good one. Maybe we should change it to >
I love you still.............better, no?

Elaina

[Alfonso]

Thanks a lot, Elaina!
I'm trying to confirm if both expressions are correct.
Since you change one of them, I guess I love you yet is not correct, is it?
And I'm thinking about grammar, not about love...

[poli]

Alfonso,
I love you yet doesn't work because yet works with the negative and rarely with the positive in a noninterrogative sentence.
For example you could say: I don't love you yet.
you could say: I love you already./ or Already, I love you.
Yet: Negative
Already: Positive

Elaina brought up the word still. Still is a word that is related to yet and already and implies a longer period of time. It is
like todavia in some cases.

This concept is important. You may not be understood if you substitute
yet with already in a sentence. In an interrogative sentence the rules change a little bit. Just ask, if you wish to learn about how the rule changes when a sentence is in question form