New to learning Spanish

[laepelba]

I am VERY new to learning Spanish, and have been using a popular software package, as well as Tomisimo.org for all of my learning. Yesterday I sent the following e-mail to a friend. Please tell me what my mistakes are, and if the e-mail makes sense and clearly states my point. Thank you!!

Sue,

Gracias por el saludo en Español esta mañana. Estoy trabajando y practico mucho - en el computador y en el carro. ¡Estoy leyendo la Biblia (en el internet) y también estoy memorizando Isaías 55:8-9! Fui al servicio de los "Hispanos en Christo" la semana pasada.

Pero no tengo la oportunidad a practicar con otra persona. Necesito a apreder conversación..... Iré probablamente a Ciudad de Mexico en Mayo. Quiero estar lista.

¿Consideras a ayudarme? Quizá podemos encontrarnos por café y conversación en Español. Le pagaré como (¿como se dice "tutor"?). Solamente si tienes el tiempo...

¿Qué piensas?
¡¡Gracias otra vez!!
Bendiciones,
Lou Ann
(P.S. Tenía una poca ayuda con algunas palabras y tiempos de los verbos en el internet. Escribí la mayor parte de esto mismo.)

[sosia]

Sue, Querida Sue, Buenos días Sue,

Gracias por el saludo en español esta mañana.


Estoy trabajando y practico mucho - en el computador y en el carro. ¡Estoy leyendo la Biblia (en el internet) y también estoy memorizando Isaías 55:8-9! Fui al servicio de los "Hispanos en Christo" la semana pasada.

Pero no tengo la oportunidad de practicar con otra persona. Necesito aprender conversación..... Iré probablemente a Ciudad de Mexico en Mayo y me gustaría estar preparada.
¿Consideras a ayudarme? Quizá podemos encontrarnos en un café y tener conversación en español. Por supuesto te pagaré por tu trabajo como tutor.
Solamente si tienes el tiempo, no quiero obligarte...

¿Qué piensas?
¡¡Gracias otra vez!!
Bendiciones,
Lou Ann

Some changes are not really important, is for making it more friendly

[laepelba]

Fabulous! Thanks, Sosia!

[Jessica]

can't you add "Quierda" in front of "Sue" to make it "Dear Sue"? or is that only put in a letter, not an email?
btw, some words in there I haven't learned yet. So....:P

[laepelba]

I'm with Jessica. Maybe someone can comment on starting/ending messages like e-mails. I know Sue - because she attends my church and she and I have some mutual friends. But I thought that "querida" is more of a term of endearment, to be used for a very, very close friend or family member. Sue isn't that close to me. So how would I begin and how would I end an e-mail to an acquaintance?

I guess that I'm looking for some different salutations and closings for e-mails/letters for different kinds of relationships......

THANKS!

[Rusty]

Querida Sue is perfectly fine for everyday use, just like Dear Sue is acceptable first-contact language in a formal letter.
What we regard as a term of endearment in English is used much more often in the hispanic world. People will call you amor (love) at the drop of a hat.

[laepelba]

So how would you address a note to someone who is truly special - just to make that fact stand out?

[Tomisimo]

One thing that wasn't corrected is "el computador" which needs to be "la computadora" or "el ordenador".

[laepelba]

Doh! Thanks, David - that's one that I DO know. What would most Latin Americans use, computadora o ordenador?

[CrOtALiTo]

Hi very, I bid you welcome, firstly I wanna tell you, you have made a great endeavor writing yourself the letter for a friends, but as it's normal you made it up some mistakes in your redaction above, then I want help you to correct your text together, now I hope my help to being of great useful for you, and if you have more questions above, please you feeling free to ask me.

Sue,

Gracias por el saludo en Español esta mañana. Estoy trabajando y practico mucho - en el computador y en el carro. ¡Estoy leyendo la Biblia (en el internet) y también estoy memorizando Isaías 55:8-9! Fui al servicio de los "Hispanos en Cristo" la semana pasada.

Pero no tengo la oportunidad de practicar con otra persona. Necesito a apreder a conversar en español..... probablamente íre a la Ciudad de Mexico en Mayo. Quiero estar lista.

¿Consideras que puedas ayudarme? Quizá podemos encontrarnos en un café y conversar en Español. Te pagaré como si es necesario. claro si tienes el tiempo...

¿Qué piensas?
¡¡Gracias otra vez!!
Bendiciones,
Lou Ann
(P.S. Tenía poca ayuda con algunas palabras y tiempos de los verbos en el internet. Escribí la mayor parte del texto yo sola)


You keep improving your Spanish. Good luck.

[laepelba]

Crotalito - MUCHAS GRACIAS!!

Thank you, thank you! This is very helpful. And I am glad to hear that you think my Spanish is improving. It's hard for me to tell....

I have two questions (for now):
1) You added "Claro" before "si". I am a bit curious about the use of the word "claro". I hear my spanish speaking friends say "si claro". I also notice that the word "claro" is used throughout general conversational spoken Spanish. What does it really indicate? How is it used?
2) Will you just clarify about the use of "mismo" vs. the use of "yo sola". My dictionary says that "myself" = "mismo". It didn't sound right to my ear, though, but I wrote it anyway. I thought that "mismo" means "the same". Is that more correct?

Thank you ALL again!!

[Tomisimo]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Doh! Thanks, David - that's one that I DO know. What would most Latin Americans use, computadora o ordenador?

In Latin America it's la computadora, in Spain el ordenador.

[laepelba]

Great! I'm always looking for the Latin American usages.

[CrOtALiTo]

You're welcome, I added the word Claro si, because is more correct and better heard in this suggestion, the word Claro meaning (Of course), for example I'm asking you, if you can doing me a favor, and you ask me, what does kind of favor I want, and I tell you, I need to go to the supermarket. Do you will can taking me to the supermarket? you answer me, Claro que si te puedo llevar, now I suggested the word yo sola than meaning myself, because you have putted this phrase (Escribí la mayor parte de esto mismo). It does not sence for me and either in the literature at Spanish, the I wanted added this sentence (Escribí la mayor parte del texto yo sola) I will translate this sentence at English ( I wrote the major part of the text myself), then I guess that is the best chose for you.

[laepelba]

Thank you for answering those, Crotalito!

[sosia]

First, I do not use "computadora" or "carro", so I haven't noticed it. Sorry.

Common beginning for an email
Estimado Sr López,
Hola Jorge,
Querida Susana, (it's more friendly, but must be not REALLY Love. For example, grannies writting to each others, people who goes to the same cooking classes, family and so on). If a woman writes it, it's only endearment. If a man writes it, sounds not very good (not "macho" ), so it can be only for mummy, granny or older female persons. It can also be used when you don't see a person in a long time, for example, a univeristy friend. You can use "querido/a" to make it more familiar, or to make the other person closer.
Saying "querida" in an email it's not so hard if it's the beginning, and more useful if you're asking for a favor/mercy. In other parts of the email it can be confusing.

For really ones you have lots of options
"mi sol, mi tesoro, Hola cariño, Hola ricura, Hola mi corazón,........"

Endings:
Saludos
Un saludo
Un afectuoso saludo
abrazos

Saludos

[laepelba]

Thank you for those notes, Sosia! As usual - very helpful!

[CrOtALiTo]

I want to give other examples above this post, because I know that it could to be important for you, you can use the word Claro also in the sentences as I will say now,

Susana, puedes ayudarme a realizar mi tarea?

Claro que si Arturo, puedo ayudarte siempre y cuando tengas claro lo que vas a relizar como tarea.

My own attempt at translation.

Susana. Could you help me to do my homework.

Arturo of course, I can help you with your homework only if you have clear as you going to realize your own homework.


I supposed that could be appropriate this examples although, I don't know if the translate is exact in itself build.

[Rusty]

tener claro = to be clear about something
siempre y cuando = as long as / so long as

Claro que sí, Arturo. Puedo ayudarte siempre y cuando tengas claro lo que vas a realizar como tarea.
= Of course, Arthur. I'll help you so long as you're clear that ...

[laepelba]

Fabulous! I always want to pick up on these seemingly small usages that don't translate exactly. Siempre y cuando .... tener claro ... VERY helpful. Esto me ayuda mucho!