Not sure of meanings of these sentences

[laepelba]

In my workbook, I find the following exercise: ¿Qué están haciendo las personas en el cine? Indica con una X si estás de acuerdo. Leave a blank if the statement does not fit.

It was difficult for me to do this (seemingly simple) exercise because I didn't really understand most of the sentences. I suppose those are the ones that "didn't fit", but I wonder if I'm missing something in a couple of them....

2) Unos jóvenes están alquilándoles una película de horror a sus amigos. (I understand why it doesn't have an X, but I don't understand the "-les" and "a sus amigos". How does a group of young people rent a movie to their friends?)
6) Tú estás lavándote los dientes. (I thought that "cepillarse" was used with cleaning one's teeth. Is this not necessarily the case?)

Obviously, I get why these things are not done in a movie theater. But the wording of the sentences threw me off...

Thank you!!

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

In my workbook, I find the following exercise: ¿Qué están haciendo las personas en el cine? Indica con una X si estás de acuerdo. Leave a blank if the statement does not fit.

It was difficult for me to do this (seemingly simple) exercise because I didn't really understand most of the sentences. I suppose those are the ones that "didn't fit", but I wonder if I'm missing something in a couple of them....

2) Unos jóvenes están alquilándoles una película de horror a sus amigos. (I understand why it doesn't have an X, but I don't understand the "-les" and "a sus amigos". How does a group of young people rent a movie to their friends?)
6) Tú estás lavándote los dientes. (I thought that "cepillarse" was used with cleaning one's teeth. Is this not necessarily the case?)

Obviously, I get why these things are not done in a movie theater. But the wording of the sentences threw me off...

Thank you!!

#2 They are renting movies for their friends...

#3 If you think,

"cleaning your teeth" = limpiarte los dientes

"brushing your teeth" = cepillándote los dientes.

The one from the book just meand the same but used "lavar"

Now, in English you would never use Wash, instead you would use "rinse" "clean" and "brush"

In Spanish we use:

Rinse (your mouth)

Wash and Brush to mean the same

Clean, probably would go with Floss, to get something out of your teeth.

etc.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

#2 They are renting movies for their friends... - is this the normal usage? It sounds a bit strange to me...

#3 If you think,

"cleaning your teeth" = limpiarte los dientes

"brushing your teeth" = cepillándote los dientes.

The one from the book just meand the same but used "lavar"

Now, in English you would never use Wash, instead you would use "rinse" "clean" and "brush"

In Spanish we use:

Rinse (your mouth)

Wash and Brush to mean the same

Clean, probably would go with Floss, to get something out of your teeth.

etc.

- I would never ever say "clean my teeth". Only "wash my teeth" or "floss my teeth" or "rinse my mouth", but not "wash" or "rinse" with "teeth".... Hmmm....

Thanks, Hernán!

[wafflestomp]

I've heard clean my teeth before.. actually wash my teeth sounds stranger than clean my teeth to me.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by wafflestomp

I've heard clean my teeth before.. actually wash my teeth sounds stranger than clean my teeth to me.

Approximately where are you from, Waffles? I grew up in the Buffalo, NY area but have lived in the DC suburbs for almost 15 years now.

[chileno]

#2 They are renting movies for their friends... - is this the normal usage? It sounds a bit strange to me...

How would you say in English if some friends invited you to eat at their home and asked you to rent a movie, for them, on your way to their home?

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

#2 They are renting movies for their friends... - is this the normal usage? It sounds a bit strange to me...

How would you say in English if some friends invited you to eat at their home and asked you to rent a movie, for them, on your way to their home?

I mean that the Spanish sounds strange to me. Not the English. You are right - I would rent a movie for my friends. For some reason, I would have thought the Spanish would be "para sus amigos" instead of "a sus amigos".......

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

I mean that the Spanish sounds strange to me. Not the English. You are right - I would rent a movie for my friends. For some reason, I would have thought the Spanish would be "para sus amigos" instead of "a sus amigos".......

There you go.

The problem was between the rentarles and a sus amigos

[wafflestomp]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Approximately where are you from, Waffles? I grew up in the Buffalo, NY area but have lived in the DC suburbs for almost 15 years now.

Long Island... I've been up to Buffalo before though... nice place.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

There you go.

The problem was between the rentarles and a sus amigos

Huh???? NOW I'm not following you..........

Originally Posted by wafflestomp

Long Island... I've been up to Buffalo before though... nice place.

Well THAT explains everything! The Long Islanders at SUNY Geneseo (where I did my undergrad) were always trying to teach the rest of us how to talk! (Only joking - I was just trying to get a point of reference for your regionalisms....)

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Huh???? NOW I'm not following you..........



Well THAT explains everything! The Long Islanders at SUNY Geneseo (where I did my undergrad) were always trying to teach the rest of us how to talk! (Only joking - I was just trying to get a point of reference for your regionalisms....)

Don't worry, you understood the rest.

[laepelba]

NO - I SWEAR I didn't. Would "para" work there? Why did they use "a"? Which is better???

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

I mean that the Spanish sounds strange to me. Not the English. You are right - I would rent a movie for my friends. For some reason, I would have thought the Spanish would be "para sus amigos" instead of "a sus amigos".......

Originally Posted by laepelba

NO - I SWEAR I didn't. Would "para" work there? Why did they use "a"? Which is better???

Cualquiera de las dos. (en este caso)