Caramelo

[ROBINDESBOIS]

How do we say tienes un caramelo in English?
Do you have a sweet?
Do you have a candy?
In the singular.

[chileno]

BrE = Sweet(s)

AmE = Candy/Candies

[ROBINDESBOIS]

My question is how do I ask for a caramelo?
Do you have a sweet? Or a piece of sweet?
I think in The USA they say do you have a piece of candy?

[pjt33]

A sweet. Candy can be uncountable, but sweet can't.

[ROBINDESBOIS]

Thank you.

[chileno]

I can count several sweets in my neighborhood...


hmmm?

[JPablo]

Originally Posted by pjt33

A sweet. Candy can be uncountable, but sweet can't.

I don't quite get it...

Which one is/can be countable?

[wrholt]

Originally Posted by pjt33

A sweet. Candy can be uncountable, but sweet can't.

Originally Posted by JPablo

I don't quite get it...

Which one is/can be countable?

"Sweet" is (almost) always countable, and in some meanings it is always plural in form (sweets) and takes a plural verb.

"Candy" is generally non-countable, although there are specific meanings or usages where some speakers use the word as if it were countable. Examples of these possible countable usages include:
1. "candies" = "types of candy" as in "My favorite candies are fudge and caramel" = "My favorite types of candy are fudge and caramel".
2. "(hard) candies" = "pieces of (hard) candy", generally only when referring to sugar crystallized by boiling and slow evaporation, as in "she put out a bowl filled with hard candies" = "she put out a bowl filled with hard candy". Unless I'm mistaken, in British English a piece of this type of candy is commonly called "a sweet", although "a sweet" may also refer to a piece of other types of candies or confections.

As far as I can recall right now, all of the possible countable usages of "candy" have non-countable equivalents.

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by wrholt

Unless I'm mistaken, in British English a piece of this type of candy is commonly called "a sweet", although "a sweet" may also refer to a piece of other types of candies or confections.

Specifically, hard candy (en-us) is boiled sweets (en-gb).

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

So, right ways of asking should be:
- Do you have some candy?
- Do you have some sweets?
- Do you have a piece of candy?
- Do you have a sweet?


By the way, just for the sake of regional differences, "dulce" is much more commonly heard in Mexico than "caramelo" ("¿Tienes/me das un dulce?").

[Elaina]

Originally Posted by chileno

I can count several sweets in my neighborhood...


hmmm?

You are so wrong!

[JPablo]

Ah, sweet!
Thank you all.

En España, "dulce" significa "cosa dulce de pequeño tamaño, de las que se elaboran en las pastelerías; como las pastas, las yemas o las frutas escarchadas: ‘Una caja de dulces’."

Hay bastantes sinónimos no muy usados, pero los que tienen un palito como mango (como los que se comía Kojak) son los "chupa-chups" (lollipop) y los "pirulíes" (que suelen ser redondos, pero aplanados, a diferencia de los chupa-chups que son esféricos).

[Elaina]

Dulces can mean anything sweet, in a wrapper (candy)...

I was taught that lollipops were "chupaletas"
Ice-cream popsicles "paletas de nieve" - even the plain ice ones -

Caramelo was used to describe the red & white Christmas candy-canes... or anything shaped like a candy-cane --- i.e. un caramelo de menta, caramelo de naranja, etc etc

Caramel was also called caramelo de leche....

I guess many regional differences...

My

[chileno]

Originally Posted by JPablo

Ah, sweet!
Thank you all.

En España, "dulce" significa "cosa dulce de pequeño tamaño, de las que se elaboran en las pastelerías; como las pastas, las yemas o las frutas escarchadas: ‘Una caja de dulces’."

Esos son pasteles, para nosotros.

Originally Posted by JPablo

Hay bastantes sinónimos no muy usados, pero los que tienen un palito como mango (como los que se comía Kojak) son los "chupa-chups" (lollipop) y los "pirulíes" (que suelen ser redondos, pero aplanados, a diferencia de los chupa-chups que son esféricos).

Los redondos que chupaba Kojak, les llamábamos Kojaks, lollipops son los redondos pero aplastados. Los pirulíes son flacos y alargados con o sin alguna forma especial, queriendo decir que era como un poste que pudiera estar o no curvado o doblado.

Originally Posted by Elaina

Dulces can mean anything sweet, in a wrapper (candy)...

I was taught that lollipops were "chupaletas"
Ice-cream popsicles "paletas de nieve" - even the plain ice ones -

Caramelo was used to describe the red & white Christmas candy-canes... or anything shaped like a candy-cane --- i.e. un caramelo de menta, caramelo de naranja, etc etc

Caramel was also called caramelo de leche....

I guess many regional differences...

My

Sí. Todos esos nombre son más bien mexicanos, aunque caramelo me imagino es bien español, no usa mucho en Chile, pero se entiende.