Semáforo

[DailyWord]

This is a discussion thread for the Daily Spanish Word for December 5, 2009

semáforo (masculine noun (el)) — traffic signal, stop light, traffic light, semaphore. Look up semáforo in the dictionary

Estuve esperando y esperando y parecía que el semáforo nunca iba a cambiar a verde.
I was waiting and waiting and it seemed like the light was never going to change to green.

Esta ciudad es tan aburrida, que no hay nada qué hacer, salvo ver el cambio en la luz de los semáforos.
This town is so boring, there is nothing to do except watch the traffic lights change.

Se pasó un semáforo en rojo. / Se pasó un alto.
She went through a red traffic light. / She ran a red light.

[pjt33]

Quizás debería ponerlo en el hilo de chistes, pero...

¿Por qué en Lepe los semáforos están a 20 metros arriba de la carretera?
...
...
Para que nadie los salte.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by DailyWord

This town is so boring, there is nothing to do except watch the traffic lights change.
Esta ciudad es tan aburrida, que no hay nada qué hacer, salvo ver el cambio en la luz de los semáforos.

I hope no one minds this request, but I really LOVE that you always put the Spanish sentence first. Because I always read it first and try not to look at the English until I understand the Spanish. Was this one switched on purpose? Or would it be possible for one of the moderators to change it back? THANKS!!

pjt - I know that often humor doesn't translate, so I won't ask you to explain your joke (I honestly don't get it....) But tell me, is "arriba de la carretera" more or less equivalent to "above the road"?

[bobjenkins]

Originally Posted by laepelba

I hope no one minds this request, but I really LOVE that you always put the Spanish sentence first. Because I always read it first and try not to look at the English until I understand the Spanish. Was this one switched on purpose? Or would it be possible for one of the moderators to change it back? THANKS!!

pjt - I know that often humor doesn't translate, so I won't ask you to explain your joke (I honestly don't get it....) But tell me, is "arriba de la carretera" more or less equivalent to "above the road"?

Tambien prefiero que el español es primero

Los semáforos se están poniendo muy bien para cogerme cuando yo los salté

(Saltar el semáforo significa run a red light)) Jump the street light

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by laepelba

pjt - I know that often humor doesn't translate, so I won't ask you to explain your joke (I honestly don't get it....)

It translates into BrE ("to jump the lights").

But tell me, is "arriba de la carretera" more or less equivalent to "above the road"?

That was my intention. Quizás habría sido mejor decir "por encima de la carretera".

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by pjt33

Quizás debería ponerlo en el hilo de chistes, pero...

¿Por qué en Lepe los semáforos están a 20 metros arriba de la carretera?
...
...
Para que nadie los salte.

¿Por qué en Lepe los semáforos están a 20 metros de altura?

Para que nadie se los salte.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by pjt33

It translates into BrE ("to jump the lights"). That was my intention. Quizás habría sido mejor decir "por encima de la carretera".

I'm a bit more confused now than before.... How could "arriba de la carretera" translate to "to jump the lights"? I thought that your punchline was "jump the lights". No?

[irmamar]

The correct way of saying this is "a x m. de altura".

Saltarse un semáforo = jump / go through

If the traffic light is high, you can't "saltártelo" (jump over it/go through it).

Clearer?

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by laepelba

I'm a bit more confused now than before....

Edited for clarity.

Gracias, Irma.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Lou Ann & Bob: Order of sentences has been changed.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by pjt33

Edited for clarity.

Gracias, Irma.

Ahhhhhhhhh - now it makes more sense. Even the humor. (I never expect to understand the humor when a joke is told in Spanish ... that way I won't be disappointed.) But I like to be able to understand the wording in a sentence. That's why I asked about that one phrase..... Thanks for explaining!

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

@Lou Ann & Bob: Order of sentences has been changed.

THANK YOU for changing it, Ms. Moderator Lady. Very much appreciated!!

Now ... a few more queries:

1) When the light changes, you don't say "la luz cambia", but you say "el semáforo cambia", correct? Or sometimes, is it said with "luz"?

2) My attempt:
Hace unos años, cuando viajé a europa, alquilé un carro. No hay muchos semáforos en ninguna parte. Ayyyyy!! Hay muchas, muchas glorietas. No se tienen muchas glorietas en los estados unidos. Tuve muchas difficultades con ellas en europa. No sabía que camino tomar. Conducía alrededor de ellas una y otra vez. Ayyyyy!!! (Y, algunas veces, yo lloraba..........)

3) Maybe "driving/traffic words" could be a good topic for the "vocabulary by topic" forum. Thoughts? (Although I'm sure I won't enjoy being reminded of the roundabouts............ Ayyyyyy!!!)

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Ahhhhhhhhh - now it makes more sense. Even the humor. (I never expect to understand the humor when a joke is told in Spanish ... that way I won't be disappointed.) But I like to be able to understand the wording in a sentence. That's why I asked about that one phrase..... Thanks for explaining!



THANK YOU for changing it, Ms. Moderator Lady. Very much appreciated!!

Now ... a few more queries:

1) When the light changes, you don't say "la luz cambia", but you say "el semáforo cambia", correct? Or sometimes, is it said with "luz"?

Yes, we say "el semáforo cambia", but also "se pone verde/rojo/amarillo":

Espera a que se ponga el semáforo verde antes de cruzar.

2) My attempt:
Hace unos años, cuando viajé a europa, alquilé un carro. No hay muchos semáforos en (I'd say "por", instead of "en") ninguna parte. Ayyyyy!! Hay muchas, muchas glorietas. No se tienen muchas glorietas en los estados unidos. Tuve muchas difficultades con ellas en europa. No sabía que camino tomar. Conducía alrededor de ellas una y otra vez. Ayyyyy!!! (Y, algunas veces, yo lloraba..........)

In Spain we say "rotonda", instead of "glorieta".

3) Maybe "driving/traffic words" could be a good topic for the "vocabulary by topic" forum. Thoughts? (Although I'm sure I won't enjoy being reminded of the roundabouts............ Ayyyyyy!!!)

Good attempt

I agree, that would be a good topic.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Good attempt

I agree, that would be a good topic.

Thanks for answering my questions. And, seriously, do you REALLY mean to tell me that those were the only mistakes I made????? SURELY I've made more and you're just overlooking them, right?

[irmamar]

Well, "no hay" instead "no se tienen", although you could say "no tenemos", as well. And the capital letters or the beginning signs, and the accent in qué . But that's all. It's good!

[laepelba]

Thanks, Irmamar! But, um, I want to correct everything. So I get the "no hay" or "no tenemos" part. But what capital letters are you talking about? I thought that in Spanish, place names aren't capitalized. ???? And an accent on "que" where? I didn't write a question. Isn't "que" only accented in a question?

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Thanks, Irmamar! But, um, I want to correct everything. So I get the "no hay" or "no tenemos" part. But what capital letters are you talking about? I thought that in Spanish, place names aren't capitalized. ???? And an accent on "que" where? I didn't write a question. Isn't "que" only accented in a question?

You don't use capital letters with monts (June, junio) or days (Monday, lunes). But you do with place names (Europe, Europa; United States, Estados Unidos; Mexico, México; Madrid, Madrid; Mayor square, plaza Mayor)

No sabía qué camino tomar.

That is because it is what is called "interrogativas indirectas".

[laepelba]

Thanks!!!

[irmamar]

You're welcome