On and Off

[Rusty]

Prender y encender también se usan en Centro América como sinóminos.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Prender y encender también se usan en Centro América como sinónimos.

Errm ... ummmm ... I hate to do that ... to Rusty ............

[Rusty]

Rusty was thinking the right spelling, but the fingers had their own idea.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

"Estar prendido" es estar contento, disfrutando algo, entretenido.

El concierto estuvo bien prendido.
The concert was just great.

Estábamos todos prendidos en la fiesta y se fue la luz.
We were all having lots of fun at the party and then there was a blackout.

Hmm no, en Chile...

Tener gas, es estar prendido...

[irmamar]

"Prender" means to arrest (detener), too. So, I was joking with the words:

Estar prendido: to be arrested / to be on.
Estar a la sombra: to be in prison / to be in the shade.
Prender la luz (encender la luz): turn on the light.

Si estás prendido, estarás "a la sombra" y no podrás "prender" la luz

If you are arrested, you will be in prison and you won't be able to turn on the light.

Well, in English this sentence loses its pun.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by irmamar

"Prender" means to arrest (detener), too. So, I was joking with the words:

Estar prendido: to be arrested / to be on.
Estar a la sombra: to be in prison / to be in the shade.
Prender la luz (encender la luz): turn on the light.

Si estás prendido, estarás "a la sombra" y no podrás "prender" la luz

If you are arrested, you will be in prison and you won't be able to turn on the light.

Well, in English this sentence loses its pun.

THANKS for the explanation, though - it is very helpful!!

[irmamar]

You're welcome. It's rather difficult to explain a pun in another language

[chileno]

Originally Posted by irmamar

"Prender" means to arrest (detener), too. So, I was joking with the words:

Estar prendido: to be arrested / to be on.
Estar a la sombra: to be in prison / to be in the shade.
Prender la luz (encender la luz): turn on the light.

Si estás prendido, estarás "a la sombra" y no podrás "prender" la luz

If you are arrested, you will be in prison and you won't be able to turn on the light.

Well, in English this sentence loses its pun.

Sí. Perdona por no haberlo "visto" antes... ahora que el chiste está explicado.

[laepelba]

This is why I should just live in a Spanish-speaking country. I have to learn and re-learn and re-learn things. Ugh!!

A friend sent me a text message the other day and said "Prende la tele ahora!!" She wanted me to watch a certain show that made her think of me. I was confused about the use of "prender". Doh! I had to review this whole thread..... I learned it once. Why can't I remember it.....

Anyway - here's my new and somewhat related question. I also see that "poner" is sometimes used in the sense of turning on an appliance. "Pon la radio...", etc. How often is poner used instead of encender or prender?

Thank you, everyone!!

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

It depends on the region and the people. "Poner" is a handy verb, like "to get".

[laepelba]

Do you know that most of my English teachers in high school strongly discouraged us from using the word "get" in any sense. In fact, I had one teacher who would simply not allow us to use the word "get" in any writing assignments in her class. I'll have to GET better about "poner".

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Do you know that most of my English teachers in high school strongly discouraged us from using the word "get" in any sense.

I think that when I was at school in the UK it was absolutely forbidden, on the grounds that there is always a more appropriate word. Very often there is, but there are now quite a few expressions which seem quite normal: to get up, to get down, to get lost, and so on. It is a lazy habit to use it more than necessary, I think.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by Perikles

I think that when I was at school in the UK it was absolutely forbidden, on the grounds that there is always a more appropriate word. Very often there is, but there are now quite a few expressions which seem quite normal: to get up, to get down, to get lost, and so on. It is a lazy habit to use it more than necessary, I think.

I agree!!!

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Do you know that most of my English teachers in high school strongly discouraged us from using the word "get" in any sense.

Originally Posted by Perikles

I think that when I was at school in the UK it was absolutely forbidden, on the grounds that there is always a more appropriate word.

...then comes the enormous frustration of the foreigner that has spent so many years studying the uses of one of the most complicated verbs ever, and when she has finally started to understand, she's told it's just inappropriate.

Sorry for the



Anyway, "poner la tele", "poner el radio", "poner la lavadora"... may be understood as ellipses for "poner a funcionar (un aparato)".

[laepelba]

More off topic - but seriously, you NEED to know the word "get" because most people ignore their English teachers and use the word a LOT. I certainly do. If you are going to be able to be conversational in English, you must be able to understand how we use the word "get", even if you don't use it yourself. The first thing one does in the morning is to get up. Then we get dressed. There really aren't much better ways of saying those two things. Then, typically, I wait to get my coffee until I almost get to work, and upon getting to work I get my bagel from the workroom fridge while my colleague gets my mail for me. Yup. I get a lot of stuff first thing in the morning, but what I don't get is how I'm supposed to remember "turn on" is sometimes encender and sometimes prender and sometimes poner.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by laepelba

but what I don't get is how I'm supposed to remember "turn on" is sometimes encender and sometimes prender and sometimes poner.

and sometimes excitar .

Did you know that "turn on the light" originates from the first light switches, which you had to turn rather than press? Similarly, "turn off the radio". Makes no sense in these days of remote controls.

That's my last snippet of useless information for this year.

[laepelba]

Seriously, don't stop now!! Some lights still "turn" a knob ... the ones that dim....

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Seriously, don't stop now!! Some lights still "turn" a knob ... the ones that dim....

What about the ones that slide?

Slide off the light?

[Rusty]

Ways around the switches, whate'er they may be:

Dim the light.
Kill the light.
-and-
Get the light.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Get the light.

Never heard that one.... Hmmmm....