My practice thread

[Esperar]

Creo te entiendo.

(Not sure when and when not to use te, but I'll learn.)

[JPablo]

Originally Posted by Esperar

Creo que te entiendo.

(Not sure when and when not to use te, but I'll learn.)

Okay. You used it correctly.

I believe I understand you.
I believe that I understand you.
(The Spanish is also fine without "que", but it is more common with "que" [that])

Te lo digo: es fácil. = I tell you, it is easy.

[Esperar]

Gracias JPablo.

I'm going to write some verb sentences later, I really want to master this.

I also need to work on the likes of "esta" "esto" "ese" and so on. It's very complex.

[wafflestomp]

Originally Posted by Esperar

Gracias JPablo.

I'm going to write some verb sentences later, I really want to master this.

I also need to work on the likes of "esta" "esto" "ese" and so on. It's very complex.

Don't forget aquella and aquello

[Esperar]

Originally Posted by wafflestomp

Don't forget aquella and aquello

Gracias. I've never used those before. I'll try to learn them soon.

Aquí están alguno frases.

"Estar"

Hay están algunos peces allí - There are some fishes over there.
Está es un foro buen - This is a good forum.
El coche estaba sucia - The car was dirty
¿Eres yendo al partido fútbol más tarde? - Are you going to the football game later?

I think I see my mistakes in some of those sentences, but I'll wait for someone to point them out.

[JPablo]

Originally Posted by Esperar

Gracias. I've never used those before. I'll try to learn them soon.

Aquí están algunas frases. [Aquí pongo algunas frases.]

"Estar"

Hay están algunos peces allí - There are some fishes over there.
Este es un foro bueno - This is a good forum. [or Este es un buen foro.]
El coche estaba sucio - The car was dirty
¿Vas al partido fútbol más tarde? - Are you going to the football game later? [or ¿Vas a ir al partido fútbol más tarde?]

I think I see my mistakes in some of those sentences, but I'll wait for someone to point them out.

Well, I marked the corrections. Let me know if you have a question on these.

[Esperar]

I knew "están" in my first sentence was wrong, because it translates to "There is are some fishes over there."

I'm not quite sure the second sentence is wrong. I don't know the difference between esta, este, esto etc. Why was "buen" wrong? Does its use change on where it is in the sentence?

The third sentence is wrong because the car is masculine right?

I knew "eres" was wrong in my last sentence, not sure why, but I knew it was, but why was "yendo" wrong?

[Edit] I know why the last sentence is wrong. "vas" is tú for "to go". You go to the football game later?

[JPablo]

Originally Posted by Esperar

I knew "están" in my first sentence was wrong, because it translates to "There is are some fishes over there."
Así es.
I'm not quite sure the second sentence is wrong. I don't know the difference between esta, este, esto etc. Why was "buen" wrong? Does its use change on where it is in the sentence?
Yes, it changes.
Buena for femenin. Bueno for masculine. Good job = buen trabajo. A job that is good = un trabajo que es bueno.
Esta casa = this house. (fem.)
Este hombre = this man. (masc.)
Esto es bueno = this is good. (neuter)
The third sentence is wrong because the car is masculine right?
Así es, correcto.
I knew "eres" was wrong in my last sentence, not sure why, but I knew it was, but why was "yendo" wrong?

Yendo is not strictly wrong, you could say "vas a estar yendo..." but the common way "vas a ir", I take it is because it is shorter, literally "are [you] to go" = "are you going".

[Esperar]

Oh lord, there are mistakes I made that are so obvious. I keep having brain farts when posting!!!

By the way, your explanation of este, esta and esto is perfect. I understand that completely now.

[wafflestomp]

Stay away from yendo... the more common way, as said, is "ir a + infinitive"
You can translate it as "going to ______ "

Mañana, voy a ir a un restaurante para comer.
Tomorrow, I am going to go to a restaurant to eat.

La semana que viene, va a estar nublado
Next week, it is going to be cloudy.

¿Cuándo vais a estudiar?

When are you-all going to study?

Vamos a leer nuestros libros más tarde

We are going to read our books later.

There is also the future tense, which translates as "will do"

Yo iré al instituto en dos años - I will go to high school in two years

But generally for events in the near and mid future, ir a is used. Think in English, would you say "Tomorrow I will go to the movies" or "Tomorrow I'm going to go to the movies" and then apply that to the future tense/ ir a concept.

[JPablo]

Me alegro de que hayas entendido eso.
(I am glad you understood that.)

I fully agree with Wafflestomp advice... (and examples)

[Esperar]

Gracias.

A gerund is the Spanish "ing" right?

Hablando means speaking right? Is it OK to use the gerund in other cases?

See, I'm trying to perfect when to use a certain type of tense. Oh, and I want to master ser and estar, but I have a pretty good idea when and when not to use those, generally speaking anyway.

Estoy hablando a ella más tarde.

I am speaking to her later.

Did I use the gerund right there, or should I generally stay away from the gerund?

Originally Posted by JPablo

Me alegro de que hayas entendido eso.
(I am glad you understood that.)

I fully agree with Wafflestomp advice... (and examples)

In the first sentence you use "de." De translates literally as "of," but what is its meaning in this context?

[wafflestomp]

Originally Posted by Esperar

Gracias.

A gerund is the Spanish "ing" right?

Hablando means speaking right? Is it OK to use the gerund in other cases?

See, I'm trying to perfect when to use a certain type of tense. Oh, and I want to master ser and estar, but I have a pretty good idea when and when not to use those, generally speaking anyway.

Estoy hablando a ella más tarde. read my note below

I am speaking to her later.

Did I use the gerund right there, or should I generally stay away from the gerund? Just stay away from "yendo"



In the first sentence you use "de." De translates literally as "of," but what is its meaning in this context?
It also translates as "from". (ie: "Soy de españa") literally, that sentence means "I am glad from that you understand that" but we can translate it naturally to "I am glad that you understand that" or even "I'm glad you get that"

As I said above, the gerund is frequently used in Spanish, but the "yendo" form is not. For the reasons we use "going" in English, it's not used that way in Spanish.

Te estoy escribiendo este mensaje. -- I am writing you this message.

Ellos están viendo la tele -- They are watching the TV

It's also used for the past progressive, like below:

Yo estaba conduciendo, cuando de repente, un coche chocó.

I was driving, when suddenly, a car crashed.

Oh, and be aware, if you want to say that you are sitting, or someone else is sitting, you have to say "sentado" not "sentando". Sentado means "seated" and "sentando" means "sitting". The spanish progressive tense means something is literally happening in that exact second. If you say "estoy sentando" that would mean you are actually taking your seat, or that you are getting up and down from your seat repeatedly, hypothetically
Sentado comes from "sentar" and it is the past participle.

Note: I didn't read your whole sentence at first, but you said "más tarde" after "estoy hablando" and technically, it's incorrect to use the present progressive to talk about a future action like we do in English, but a lot of speakers in Latin America just do it. The "correct" way would be "Hablaré a ella mas tarde" or "Voy a hablar a ella más tarde"
Just letting you know.

[Esperar]

Thanks a lot, this is really helpful. I'll post some more sentences tomorrow with what I've learnt here today, and I'll try to use some of the tenses I've yet to master.

[wafflestomp]

Cool, good to know. Make sure you read the note I added to my post.. just for your reference.

[Esperar]

I will, but it's late here now, so it'll be better to read in the morning.

Off topic, but you HAVE to look at this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iEkp...layer_embedded

Best ever.

[JPablo]

Well, I see Wafflestomp helped you very competently...
I saw the video... well... I spare more comments on that, (besides saying it is pretty ingenious), until I see how "la Roja" deals with the Swiss factor.... tomorrow... I mean, in a few hours.

[Esperar]

Spain or Brazil will win the competition I think. Brazil stunk up the stadium last night though..

A small question about "desde." I once used it to show how some people were from Newcastle. I used it wrong, and should have used "de" as someone showed me. When is the time to use desde? In Spain I seen it used for shopping? Can I use it like this.

"Desde ayer." Since yesterday. It means from and since right?

[JPablo]

That's right. (Re: Spain or Brazil, I hope!) and also the "from and since" point.

Desde que volví de España he estado muy ocupado. [Since I came back from Spain I have been very busy.]
Vengo corriendo desde la estación del metro. [I come (arrive) running from the metro station.]
Desde hace 20 años que no pruebo el alcohol. [I have not tasted (taken) alcohol for 20 years (since 20 years ago)]
Desde Barcelona a Madrid hay 800 ó 900 kilómetros, ¿verdad?

[Esperar]

OK, here's some more (bad) Spanish sentences!

Voy al hotel - I'm going to the hotel. (How do you pronounce "ir" by the way? Is it like "err?")

Esta flor es bonita - This flower is pretty.

Este coche es naranja - This car is orange.

Los perros están locos - The dogs are crazy. What's the difference between "son" and "están?"

Podré hablar más tarde - I will speak later (Is this right, Waffle?)

Ella rehusado ir al médico - She's refusing to go to the doctor.

Puedo ver un error. Cero es la cuarta frase con la palabra "son" pero no estoy no seguro.