Upstairs ... Downstairs

[Rusty]

ya = already
viste (2nd-person preterite tense of ver) = did you see

ya viste = did you already see (which can also be translated as have you seen)

This construct can be used as an alternate to the present perfect tense has visto, which is translated as have you seen.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by Rusty

ya = already
viste (2nd-person preterite tense of ver) = did you see

ya viste = did you already see (which can also be translated as have you seen)

This construct can be used as an alternate to the present perfect tense has visto, which is translated as have you seen.

Thanks, Rusty - and I see I spelled it incorrectly, so that didn't help either...

[laepelba]

Revelation para mí?

Could this also be said? "desde la entrada se puede ir escalas arriba o abajo."

O....

"desde la entrada se sube arriba o abajo"

??

[Rusty]

The latter. It's to the point. The reader can assume there's a split staircase. One side goes up, the other goes down.

The former needs to give more detail. I would say something like:
Desde la entrada se puede ir por las escaleras que van para arriba o por las que van para abajo.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Lou Ann: Rusty is right. And you can also say "desde la entrada se puede subir o bajar (por la escalera)". Avoid "subir arriba" and "bajar abajo". Those are ugly pleonasms.

...and nice avatar!

[chileno]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

@laepelba: "este", "esta", "estos", "estas", "aquel", "aquella", etc., can be used either as adjectives and as substantives. They bear an accent when they work as substantives.

"Esta casa es mía" ("This house is mine")
"Ésta es mi casa" ("This is my house")

--"Estoy leyendo ese libro" ("I'm reading that book")
--"Yo estoy leyendo éste" ("I am reading this one")

"Llévate esas bolsa de basura, pero déjame aquélla" ("Take those garbage bags away, but leave me that one")


@Chileno: I wish I could explain better.
But you chose the right thing by not writing any.

Oh, you did beautifully with th explanation up there.

Originally Posted by Rusty

Just to confuse matters, and to make Chileno even more dizzy, the accent may be omitted if there is NO chance that the substantive will be confused with the adjective form.

Thank you for that. I know I did this when I was about 10 years old. And some of it rings so true when I hear you guys talking about this.

My advice to laepelba is not to concentrate too much now on it, since she knows how to express herself in her English. Later she can equate what she know to Spanish and then learn some more in both languages! If that is what she wishes.


Hernan

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

My advice to laepelba is not to concentrate too much now on it, since she knows how to express herself in her English. Later she can equate what she know to Spanish and then learn some more in both languages! If that is what she wishes.

Hernan

So ... what would you suggest that I concentrate on first?

[Tomisimo]

Originally Posted by laepelba

So ... what would you suggest that I concentrate on first?

Well, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation would probably be good choices.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by Tomisimo

Well, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation would probably be good choices.

Thanks, David! I have finally found a couple of people with whom I can speak regularly - and they are working with me on the pronunciation. YOUR word of the day is GREAT for my vocabulary, as are the attempts that I make at doing reading on the internet and listening to television. Grammar ... LOTS of questions ... therefore I'm reading lots of articles!

[Tomisimo]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Thanks, David! I have finally found a couple of people with whom I can speak regularly - and they are working with me on the pronunciation. YOUR word of the day is GREAT for my vocabulary, as are the attempts that I make at doing reading on the internet and listening to television. Grammar ... LOTS of questions ... therefore I'm reading lots of articles!

And from what I'm seeing, you're making good progress!

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Tomisimo

Well, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation would probably be good choices.

Definitely not grammar. And I am not kidding.

Vocabulary, the most, write it like you have been doing (guessing and all) :-)
and some pronunciation. On the latter you have to guide yourself with the phonetic guide of the vowels I gave you earlier.

That's what you have to concentrate. The minute you are fatigued, please take a break. And go back to it. and so on.

And please, be patient with yourself. I know you want to "function" in Spanish yesterday, not today, much less tomorrow!

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by Tomisimo

And from what I'm seeing, you're making good progress!

David - I truly appreciate that you even have the time to notice! I'm ENJOYING it, which encourages me to work hard at it!! Tomísimo has a LOT to do with that! Gracias - for all of your hard work!!

Originally Posted by chileno

Definitely not grammar. And I am not kidding.

Vocabulary, the most, write it like you have been doing (guessing and all) :-)
and some pronunciation. On the latter you have to guide yourself with the phonetic guide of the vowels I gave you earlier.

That's what you have to concentrate. The minute you are fatigued, please take a break. And go back to it. and so on.

And please, be patient with yourself. I know you want to "function" in Spanish yesterday, not today, much less tomorrow!

Hernán, it seems like you know me ... hmmm.... You're right - I am a bit impatient with myself. But my self-discipline serves me well in reverse, too - because I am constantly reminding myself that it won't be immediate - and I also *allow* myself to "quit" for the evening when mi cerebro está cansado.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Hernán, it seems like you know me ... hmmm.... You're right - I am a bit impatient with myself. But my self-discipline serves me well in reverse, too - because I am constantly reminding myself that it won't be immediate - and I also *allow* myself to "quit" for the evening when mi cerebro está cansado.

Would it suffice to say that I was there?

In my country there is a saying:

La vaca casi siempre se olvida que alguna vez fue ternero.

The cow almost always forgets that once was a calf.

I haven't forgotten not even a little.

Hernan

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

Would it suffice to say that I was there?

In my country there is a saying:

La vaca casi siempre se olvida que alguna vez fue ternero.

The cow almost always forgets that once was a calf.

I haven't forgotten not even a little.

Hernan

I'm counting on that........ By the way ... is "your country" Chile? But you say that your native language is Castellano... Or are you from Spain? Or both?

[Rusty]

castellano = español
Spanish can be called either castellano or español, depending on the country you're in.

Spain has four official languages: Castilian (el castellano) is foremost and after that come Galitian (el gallego), Catalan (el catalán), and Euskera (el euskera). There are many dialects, as well.
Castilian was the language exported to the Spanish colonies during the conquests.
Spaniards distinguish their principal language from the others spoken there by calling it el castellano. But, when they want to distinguish their principal language from the languages spoken in France or Italy, they call it el español. So, el castellano and el español refer to the same language.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Rusty

castellano = español
Spanish can be called either castellano or español, depending on the country you're in.

Spain has four official languages: Castilian (el castellano) is foremost and after that come Galitian (el gallego), Catalan (el catalán), and Euskera (el euskera). There are many dialects, as well.
Castilian was the language exported to the Spanish colonies during the conquests.
Spaniards distinguish their principal language from the others spoken there by calling it el castellano. But, when they want to distinguish their principal language from the languages spoken in France or Italy, they call it el español. So, el castellano and el español refer to the same language.

Right.

What's more. And I do not have all the information on this. Sometime between my upbringing and today, there was a change, of which it just hit me, on the name of the Real Academia Española. It used to be longer. And the missing appendix was of the Castelian Language.

This makes me think that the official language used to be only the Castelian.

Now there are four. that means to me, there are four countries in one. A bit separatist. :-)

@laepelba: All of my ancestors are of Spanish origen, my paternal last name is basque, and my maternal last name Castelian.

Hernan.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

@laepelba: All of my ancestors are of Spanish origen, my paternal last name is basque, and my maternal last name Castelian.

Hernan.

Okay - NOW I get it. And ... um, you're FROM Chile? ¿Tu eres de Chile?

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Okay - NOW I get it. And ... um, you're FROM Chile? ¿Tu eres de Chile?

Si! Soy chileno.