Doblar

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Hernán - let me ask you about the last sentence. As you know, I haven't really gotten into using the subjunctive yet. I thought that if I wanted to say "I look forward to learning many synonyms in Spanish" it would be subjunctive. Why not?

I cannot think of a phrase in subjunctive right now.

Now, please follow me with this one and see what happens. ok? :-)

Is the phrase "I look forward to learning many synonyms in Spanish" in any way in past tense? Also, could you please rephrase that but keep it in the same tense as the original? Please post.

[laepelba]

Okay, so I thought that "esperar" typically preceded a subjunctive conjugation. Apparently I'm wrong.

SOOoooooo, to follow you ... I originally wrote "Espero a aprenda muchos sinónimos en español.... " I originally meant "I look forward to learning many synonyms in Spanish....."

That phrase is not past tense in any way in either iteration, right? ??? I thought that both ways were in the same tense.....

Espero - I hope
a aprenda - to learn
muchos sinónimos en español.... - many synonyms in Spanish.....

???

[Rusty]

If there is no change in subject, the infinitive is used.

I hope to learn = espero aprender
I hope you learn = espero que aprendas

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by Rusty

If there is no change in subject, the infinitive is used.

I hope to learn = espero aprender
I hope you learn = espero que aprendas

OH!!!!!!!!!!!! I had NO idea. That makes so much sense. I really need to study the subjunctive. Maybe I ought to master preterite and imperfect, first........

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Okay, so I thought that "esperar" typically preceded a subjunctive conjugation. Apparently I'm wrong.

SOOoooooo, to follow you ... I originally wrote "Espero a aprenda muchos sinónimos en español.... " I originally meant "I look forward to learning many synonyms in Spanish....."

That phrase is not past tense in any way in either iteration, right? ??? I thought that both ways were in the same tense.....

Espero - I hope
a aprenda - to learn = aprender - a aprender
muchos sinónimos en español.... - many synonyms in Spanish.....

???

ok ok...

Espero aprender muchos sinónimos en español pronto. I hope to learn many synonyms in Spanish soon

Espero que (usted) aprenda muchos sinónimos en español pronto. I hope you learn many synonyms in Spanish soon.

Espera a que yo aprenda muchos sinónimos en español. Wait until I learn many synonyms in Spanish.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

ok ok...

Espero aprender muchos sinónimos en español pronto. I hope to learn many synonyms in Spanish soon

Espero que (usted) aprenda muchos sinónimos en español pronto. I hope you learn many synonyms in Spanish soon.

Espera a que yo aprenda muchos sinónimos en español. Wait until I learn many synonyms in Spanish.

All of which completely jives with what Rusty said (cross posting?) Making more sense to me day by day. I really need to start working with the subjunctive!

[bobjenkins]

Originally Posted by chileno

ok ok...

Espero aprender muchos sinónimos en español pronto. I hope to learn many synonyms in Spanish soon

Espero que (usted) aprenda muchos sinónimos en español pronto. I hope you learn many synonyms in Spanish soon.

Espera a que yo aprenda muchos sinónimos en español. Wait until I learn many synonyms in Spanish.

Chileno me confundes con el "a" ahí, ¿por favor puedes explicámelo?

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by bobjenkins

Chileno me confundes con el "a" ahí, ¿por favor puedes explicámelo?

My dictionary gives

esperar a + inf = to wait for

espera a estar seguro antes de hablar con ella
wait until you're sure before you speak to her

esperar (a) + subj = to wait for (change of subject)

el profesor esperó (a) que hubiera silencio
the teacher waited for them to be quiet

So it looks as if the a is optional, but to me seems to differentiate between esperar = hope (esperar + inf. or que + subj.) and esperar = wait for..

[irmamar]

Esperar a = wait for

Espero a Juan.
Espero a que acabe de llover para salir a pasear.

Esperar = hope

Espero que estés bien.
Espero aprobar el examen.

[bobjenkins]

Originally Posted by Perikles

My dictionary gives

esperar a + inf = to wait for

espera a estar seguro antes de hablar con ella
wait until you're sure before you speak to her

esperar (a) + subj = to wait for (change of subject)

el profesor esperó (a) que hubiera silencio
the teacher waited for them to be quiet

So it looks as if the a is optional, but to me seems to differentiate between esperar = hope (esperar + inf. or que + subj.) and esperar = wait for..

Originally Posted by irmamar

Esperar a = wait for

Espero a Juan.
Espero a que acabe de llover para salir a pasear.

Esperar = hope

Espero que estés bien.
Espero aprobar el examen.

Todos ejemplos entiendo, como espero a jugar el fútbol, ect, ¿pero "espero a que" es en lo cierto también?

[laepelba]

But I was trying to say "look forward to", not "hope" or "wait". Is "esperar" not the right word?

Also, if you change to the subjunctive when you change subjects, you could turn it around and say something like, "Esperas que aprenda...." would be "you hope that I learn...." ???

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by laepelba

But I was trying to say "look forward to", not "hope" or "wait". Is "esperar" not the right word?

¿Tener ganas de?

Also, if you change to the subjunctive when you change subjects, you could turn it around and say something like, "Esperas que aprenda...." would be "you hope that I learn...." ???

Sí.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by chileno

ok ok...

Espero aprender muchos sinónimos en español pronto. I hope to learn many synonyms in Spanish soon

Espero que (usted) aprenda muchos sinónimos en español pronto. I hope you learn many synonyms in Spanish soon.

Espera a que yo aprenda muchos sinónimos en español. Wait until I learn many synonyms in Spanish.

Originally Posted by irmamar

Esperar a = wait for

Espero a Juan.
Espero a que acabe de llover para salir a pasear.

Esperar = hope

Espero que estés bien.
Espero aprobar el examen.

Originally Posted by laepelba

But I was trying to say "look forward to", not "hope" or "wait". Is "esperar" not the right word?

Also, if you change to the subjunctive when you change subjects, you could turn it around and say something like, "Esperas que aprenda...." would be "you hope that I learn...." ???

That's why I gave you what now appears in red in my quote. Now, along with what Irma gave you. Can you see the light?

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by laepelba

But I was trying to say "look forward to", not "hope" or "wait". Is "esperar" not the right word?

It can mean "look forward to" in expressions like

un acontecimento esperado con ansiedad
an eagerly anticipated event

But I don't know of a verb which means 'to enjoy the anticipation of' in Spanish Perhaps they don't do it.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Perikles

It can mean "look forward to" in expressions like

un acontecimento esperado con ansiedad
an eagerly anticipated event

But I don't know of a verb which means 'to enjoy the anticipation of' in Spanish Perhaps they don't do it.

Nosotros no vemos hacia adelante por algún acontecimiento (¿contemplar? ), pero si lo esperamos con mucho júbilo.

[irmamar]

Es que da mala suerte celebrar algo antes de tiempo.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Es que da mala suerte celebrar algo antes de tiempo.

My wife says that anticipation is always more pleasant than realization, but she is always unspecific when asked exactly what she is referring to.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by Perikles

My wife says that anticipation is always more pleasant than realization, but she is always unspecific when asked exactly what she is referring to.

A question: "when asked" (without subject) means "cuando se le pregunta", I guess (I'd say "when she is asked").

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

A question: "when asked" (without subject) means "cuando se le pregunta", I guess (I'd say "when she is asked").

Exactly that, it's just a shortened version.

By the way, my ex-wife said the same thing, but in German: Vorfreude ist die beste Freude. This is enough to give anybody a complex.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by Perikles

Exactly that, it's just a shortened version.

By the way, my ex-wife said the same thing, but in German: Vorfreude ist die beste Freude. This is enough to give anybody a complex.

Translate, please. I don't understand German (... es el mejor... amigo? , o algo así )