Nada

[Depilego]

I am confused about the word nada.

Rosetta Stone is telling me that nada means swim. "nada como un pez" | "she swims like a fish."

When I look in the dictionary it tells me that nada means nothing.

I went to Google Translator and entered "nada como un pez" and it says "nothing like a fish". When I enter "nadar como un pez", it says "swim like a fish."

Another dictionary also makes "nada como un pez" | "she swims like a fish".

I'm getting different answers no matter where I look, and some are randomly adding she/female into it.

Maybe nada can mean swim or nothing, depending on how its used, but the dictionary doesn't show that. It says nada is nothing and nadar is swim.

However, under the dictionary's definition of nadar it says:

"nadar (swim) Example: nada como un pez" ... So it makes no sense to me. Why it lists nadar as swim, but then uses nada (nothing) in the example usage of nadar.

[Glen]

You're almost there Depilego, in seeing the verb nadar. All that's needed now is to check how it's conjugated, in this case third person singular [he, she or it] which is nada. The similarity between verb and noun provides material for the catchy saying ¿Qué hace el pez? ¡Nada! (What does a fish do? It swims!)

[Rusty]

nadar (infinitive (unconjugated verb)) = (to) swim
nada (3rd-person singular present indicative tense (conjugated verb)) = he swims, she swims, it swims and you (formal) swim

Look here to see the other conjugations of the verb nadar.

The noun nada means 'nothing', but you'll see that it is translated to 'anything' in English, because English doesn't allow a double negative.
No veo nada. = I don't see anything.

The adverb nada means 'not at all'.
Ella no nada nada. = She doesn't swim at all.

[Glen]

Rusty explained it far better than I did. You're well on your way now!

[Rusty]

Your dictionary must designate the role of the word, as in whether it is a verb, a noun, an adjective, an adverb, etc. Without knowing the role of a word, it's impossible to translate it into English.
You caught on to this, I suppose, or you wouldn't have written, "depending on how it's used."

[Depilego]

I don't really know how the dictionary works. It has a lot of things in it that I don't understand. I'm going to start the second lesson now, and see what happens.

I think I kind of understand why there are differences, but I don't know why I understand. Hopefully, I will be able to make sense of something soon.

I wonder if there is an English example similar to nada.

https://1drv.ms/i/s!AmL8aIYnOOzplI8rwHAVdSvqD-wybQ

[Rusty]

The dictionary entry shows, at Roman numeral I, right at the top, that you are looking an an intransitive verb (vi = verbo intransitivo). It is common for a verb to be listed in its infinitive form (nadar = to swim). The three entries under it give three different ways the infinitive can be used.
The section you're looking at is for someone who knows Spanish and is trying to learn English. The first example shows a tilde (~) in the question. This is where the infinitive form can be used to ask if 'you' (familiar) know how to swim.
The second example is showing how someone would say that a 'persona' (person) swims (conjugated form of nadar) como un pez (like a fish). The dictionary added 'she' because the English sentence must have a subject. The subject of the Spanish sentence could be anyone that is conveyed by the third person (he, she, it, you (formal) or anybody that has already been referenced).

I won't describe the rest.

The dictionary will also list 'nada'. In that entry, you should see at least two roles - noun (abbreviated n) and adverb (abbreviated adv). Those will most likely give examples of a noun and adverb usage, something like I gave above.

[JPablo]

Don't want to confuse the issue, as Rusty is doing a great job.

But, following Glen's lead,

¿Qué le dice un pez a otro?

(What does one fish say to another fish?)

¡Nada!

(Ie., - Swim! or Nothing!)

And one person at the swimming pool,

¿Usted no nada nada?

Are you not swimming at all?

No, no traje traje.

No, I didn't bring my swimming trunks.

Traje = "traje de baño" = swimming trunks

"traje" = 1st person past tense of the verb "traer".

http://dle.rae.es/?id=aE26oeU

(Correct my Henglish, please!)

[Glen]

Originally Posted by JPablo

¿Usted no nada nada?

No, no traje traje.

Very good, one I'll have to remember when the time comes.

[Depilego]

I'm never going to learn Spanish. Those don't make sense.

[wrholt]

Originally Posted by Depilego

I'm never going to learn Spanish. Those don't make sense.

They will make sense, eventually. English also has its own share of homographs and homonyms.

Consider some examples of the many sets of English words that have the same spelling, same pronunciation, or both:

- read (present tense), read (past tense, past participle), red
- lead (present tense), lead (past tense, past participle), led
- fast (quick, rapid), fast (completely still)
- sanction (encourage, allow), sanction (condemn)
- write, right, rite
- sight, site
- to, two, too
- their, there, they're
- least, leased
- slay, sleigh
- slight, sleight
- record (notation, recording), record (verb)
- produce (vegetables), produce (make)
- made, maid
- male, mail

We generally have no trouble understanding any of these words in context, because most of the time only one of them makes sense within the context.

The same thing is true with the word pairs in Spanish: nada = "nothing" generally cannot appear in the same places in a sentence where nada = "he/she/you/it swims" can appear. This is also true of the words traje = "I brought" and traje = "suit (clothing)".

[Depilego]

It makes more sense that way. It's easier to understand it in English.

I am starting the next lesson right now, so I will post back later.

Thanks.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I love Wrholt's examples. :thumbup:


Now, how about some words that English students have trouble with?

- The coach where the coach was riding is late so I coach today.

- Can you open this can please?

- This kind of people is kind.

- I drew a pen for chickens with my new pen.

- I can't bear to watch a bear in my yard.

- Would you mind telling me what's in your mind?

- Finally, I'm unable to make a sentence with all the meanings of "mean(s)". (I very recently learnt that "skillful" is among them, and I was quite baffled by the context where no definition I knew of the word matched the sentence.)

So don't worry, we are always learning something, but with dedication and patience you will manage to understand and make yourself be understood.

[pinosilano]

Originally Posted by Depilego

I'm never going to learn Spanish. Those don't make sense.

Si no nada, no hay nada que hacer.
Si no nada, no se puede hacer nada

[Depilego]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

- Finally, I'm unable to make a sentence with all the meanings of "mean(s)". (I very recently learnt that "skillful" is among them, and I was quite baffled by the context where no definition I knew of the word matched the sentence.)

The math teacher didn't mean to be mean, but your explanation of mean, median, and mode, using his means of income, was meaningless. If you didn't have the means to explain it meaningfully, you should have passed. (skillful)

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Awesome, thanks.

[Depilego]

It's kind of long. I can't think of how to use them in a smaller sentence.

But you could say something like: "She doesn't have the means to be a good singer."

[Aprendo]

Originally Posted by Depilego

I'm never going to learn Spanish. Those don't make sense.

You'll learn if you want to.

It takes time.

As members here know, I've been on and off studying Spanish for years and it's finally moving into a better phase b/c I'm spending more time on it.

I like the jokes. I'm googling for more.