Suspenso

[poli]

Is suspenso a common word for a failing grade? I was surprized to see that it meant that at all--being under the impression that
suspense/suspenso were cognates.

[Jane]

Poli, I think suspenso/suspense is one of the words known as false friends... I think there´s a thread about that somewhere..
Suspender is the word for `to fail´ as you pointed out.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by poli

Is suspenso a common word for a failing grade? I was surprized to see that it meant that at all--being under the impression that
suspense/suspenso were cognates.

Originally Posted by Jane

Poli, I think suspenso/suspense is one of the words known as false friends... I think there´s a thread about that somewhere..
Suspender is the word for `to fail´ as you pointed out.

Suspend is different from suspense in English, and in Spanish too!

And to fail does not have anything to do with neither.

[poli]

OK. So in Latin America suspenso doesn't mean failure. Is that right Hernan? --I think in Spain it can mean failure.

[irmamar]

En España, si sacas un 4 sobre 10 en un examen (o menos), estás suspendido y tu nota es un suspenso.

Tengo un suspenso en matemáticas.
He suspendido el examen de geografía.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

In Mexico "to fail an exam" is "reprobar un examen". My grade is then "reprobado(a)".

"Suspenso" is the genre name for thriller stories, either in movies or literature.

"En suspenso" is referring to something that has been left with no conclusion.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by poli

OK. So in Latin America suspenso doesn't mean failure. Is that right Hernan? --I think in Spain it can mean failure.

No. In Chile to fail is reprobar.

Originally Posted by irmamar

En España, si sacas un 4 sobre 10 en un examen (o menos), estás suspendido y tu nota es un suspenso.

Tengo un suspenso en matemáticas.
He suspendido el examen de geografía.

Nunca lo habria adivinado. Ni siquiera en RAE aparece como fallar.

[sosia]

Rae

suspenso, sa.

(del lat. Suspensus).


1. Adj. Admirado, perplejo.

2. M. Nota de haber sido suspendido en un examen.

3. M. Am. Suspense.

En suspenso.

1. Loc. Adv. Diferida la resolución o su cumplimiento.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by sosia

Rae

suspenso, sa.

(del lat. Suspensus).


1. Adj. Admirado, perplejo.

2. M. Nota de haber sido suspendido en un examen.

3. M. Am. Suspense.

En suspenso.

1. Loc. Adv. Diferida la resolución o su cumplimiento.

Busque en suspender. Y aun asi Eso se puede entender como que hubo una suspension del examen por alguna razon, y que tiene que ser ejecutada mas tarde.

No dice que es una falla o reprobacion de un examen.

En Chile:

reprobe un examen (falle en un examen) significa eso y no tienes otra, fallaste y quedaste eliminado.


suspendi mis examenes (los examenes estan en suspenso) hasta el verano.

Aunque ahora entiendo que es el uso que le dan en españa.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by chileno

Busque en suspender. Y aun asi Eso se puede entender como que hubo una suspension del examen por alguna razon, y que tiene que ser ejecutada mas tarde.

No dice que es una falla o reprobacion de un examen.

En Chile:

reprobe un examen (falle en un examen) significa eso y no tienes otra, fallaste y quedaste eliminado.


suspendi mis examenes (los examenes estan en suspenso) hasta el verano.

Aunque ahora entiendo que es el uso que le dan en españa.

Sí está en la RAE "suspender" con esa acepción:

5. tr. Negar la aprobación a un examinando hasta nuevo examen.

Un examinando es el que se examina

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

In Mexico "to fail an exam" is "reprobar un examen". My grade is then "reprobado(a)".

"Suspenso" is the genre name for thriller stories, either in movies or literature.

"En suspenso" is referring to something that has been left with no conclusion.

The name for this genre of stories is "suspense" in Spain.

"En suspenso" is also used here with the same meaning. We also say "suspendido" with this meaning.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Sí está en la RAE "suspender" con esa acepción:

5. tr. Negar la aprobación a un examinando hasta nuevo examen.

Un examinando es el que se examina

Exacto, hasta que se examine nuevamente.

De haber fallado, ya no hay caso ni otra examinacion...(generalmente). Falló y eso fué todo.

[María José]

Además de susperder decimos catear, es más coloquial, como flunk.

[lee ying]

suspense is something that don´t know what will happen in a complicated situation.!! You don´t know what will happen but something will happen Good or Bad thing.
suspendido , suspend, is somethisng that doesn´t work anymore!! the class are suspend !!! something like that!!^_ ^

[Jane]

Originally Posted by María José

Además de suspender decimos catear, es más coloquial, como flunk.

Couldn´t help it...
You being English and all...

[chileno]

Originally Posted by María José

Además de susperder decimos catear, es más coloquial, como flunk.

Entiendo que tus dedos escriben mas rapidos que tu mente (susperder/suspender)

Pero catear? Alli me perdiste...

catear como en saborear o quizas como mirar (chilenismo)

flunk definitely is colloquial of failing.

[Jessica]

Originally Posted by chileno

Suspend is different from suspense in English, and in Spanish too!

And to fail does not have anything to do with neither.

this has nothing to do with the topic....:P

Shouldn't it be And to fail does not have anything to do with either.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by jchen

this has nothing to do with the topic....:P

Shouldn't it be And to fail does not have anything to do with either.

You know, you caught me. I do not know. Although I tend, in my mind to "neither" meaning "ninguno"

Rusty, David, and everybody knowledgeable in English grammar!!! Help!

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by chileno

Exacto, hasta que se examine nuevamente.

De haber fallado, ya no hay caso ni otra examinacion...(generalmente). Falló y eso fué todo.

Bueno, no sé en otros países, pero si yo suspendo el examen de inglés, puedo volver a presentarme hasta que apruebe. Tal vez tenga un máximo de convocatorias o no, depende de dónde estés matriculado. O puedo elegir volver a examinarme o no. Pero en todo caso estoy suspendida o, como dice Maria José, cateada y en el examen tengo un suspenso o un cate

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by chileno

You know, you caught me. I do not know. Although I tend, in my mind to "neither" meaning "ninguno"

Rusty, David, and everybody knowledgeable in English grammar!!! Help!

When used as a conjunction:
either = one (of two), it's used with or
neither = none (of two), it's used with nor
He ate either the apple or the pear.
He ate neither the apple nor the pear.

In your sentence, however, neither was used as a pronoun (an object of a preposition). As a pronoun:
either = one or the other (it doesn't matter which, both are suitable)
neither = not the one or the other (not either, none, no one)

He works with either (one tool or the other).
He doesn't work with either. = He works with neither.
He works with neither (none of two - not either - not the one or the other).


Here are the two proposals:
... to fail does not have anything to do with either.
... to fail does not have anything to do with neither.

Let's substitute:
To fail has nothing to do with one word or the other (either of the two).
To fail has nothing to do with not the one word or the other (neither of the two).

Hmm. The sentences appear to mean the same thing.

Let's rearrange and substitute once again:
Either has nothing to do with failing. - Take your pick. Whichever word you choose, it doesn't mean to fail.
Neither has anything to do with failing. - Neither word means to fail. (We must switch nothing to anything to avoid the double negative!)

Maybe negation is throwing us off, because you would think that either and neither would be opposites.
Let's throw out negation and see what happens:
To fail is antonymous with either.
To fail is antonymous with neither.

Aha! Now we have totally opposite meanings!
The first sentence means "Take your pick. Whichever word you choose, it won't be synonymous with to fail."
The second sentence means "Both words are synonyms of to fail."

[chileno]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Bueno, no sé en otros países, pero si yo suspendo el examen de inglés, puedo volver a presentarme hasta que apruebe.

Exacto. Es lo que he estado diciendo desde el principio. Tu examen ha sido suspendido hasta otra ocasión, por diferentes razones, ya sea por tu lado o por el lado de la institución acádemica.

Originally Posted by irmamar

Tal vez tenga un máximo de convocatorias o no, depende de dónde estés matriculado.

Claro, dependiendo de la situación puedes volver a ser examinado.

Pero cuando fallas. No hay vuelta.

Originally Posted by irmamar

O puedo elegir volver a examinarme o no.

Que les pasa si eligen no volverse a examinar?

Originally Posted by Rusty

When used as a conjunction:
either = one (of two), it's used with or
neither = none (of two), it's used with nor
He ate either the apple or the pear.
He ate neither the apple nor the pear.

In your sentence, however, neither was used as a pronoun (an object of a preposition). As a pronoun:
either = one or the other (it doesn't matter which, both are suitable)
neither = not the one or the other (not either, none, no one)

He works with either (one tool or the other).
He doesn't work with either. = He works with neither.
He works with neither (none of two - not either - not the one or the other).


Here are the two proposals:
... to fail does not have anything to do with either.
... to fail does not have anything to do with neither.

Let's substitute:
To fail has nothing to do with one word or the other (either of the two).
To fail has nothing to do with not the one word or the other (neither of the two).

Hmm. The sentences appear to mean the same thing.

Let's rearrange and substitute once again:
Either has nothing to do with failing. - Take your pick. Whichever word you choose, it doesn't mean to fail.
Neither has anything to do with failing. - Neither word means to fail. (We must switch nothing to anything to avoid the double negative!)

Maybe negation is throwing us off, because you would think that either and neither would be opposites.
Let's throw out negation and see what happens:
To fail is antonymous with either.
To fail is antonymous with neither.

Aha! Now we have totally opposite meanings!
The first sentence means "Take your pick. Whichever word you choose, it won't be synonymous with to fail."
The second sentence means "Both words are synonyms of to fail."

A bit convoluted, but I guess I am wrong.

Couldn't you be more direct about it?

Very interesting the way you 'splained it.