For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
---|
Sojourner47 said:In my experience - not only in Spain, but other countries - it's not so much learning the basic phrases, but understanding the (usually) rapid-fire reply which is the most difficult bit!!
in fact the most useful phrase would be, "Please can you speak more slowly...."
picosrider said:Why are Brits so poor at speaking foreign languages? .
In England most kids of 7 can't even count upto 20 in English!
A somewhat unwarranted generalisation, I would have thought.....
Oh dear I seem to have hit a raw nerve. But I thought us Brits were supposed to have a sense of humour!Sojourner47 said:picosrider said:Why are Brits so poor at speaking foreign languages? .
In England most kids of 7 can't even count upto 20 in English!
A somewhat unwarranted generalisation, I would have thought.....
Hi Tyrrek, yes the doggie in the window was supposed to add a bit of humour to what would otherwise be a dull subject.tyrrek said:I love your Spanish translations, Picosrider. Especially 'How much is the spliff in the window'. Keep 'em coming!
Buen Camino!
Hi Picosrider!picosrider said:Tyrrek and what looks like you wearing baggy shorts (and being from Yorkshire) suggests that you might be a tyre wrecker or mountain biker?
picosrider said:How much is that doggie in the window? - Cuanto es el porro en la ventana?
Yes, as a student I was terrible at Spanish and always ended up in Class B (no pun intended). Fortunately my then girlfriend was half Spanish and fluent, so my coursework was often a joint (no pun intended) effort.JohnnieWalker said:We may be dim but at least some of us know the difference between a "perro" which is a dog and a "porro" which is a joint - as in marajuana.
If you can't get asleep in your albergue bunk, and if you want a sleepless night, start counting the sheep in Spanish! Much better in your own language. (btw even Spanish pilgrims are pretty bad at counting - particularly when surrounded by snorers)picosrider said:Of course if you are a complete beginner you may need to learn to count in Spanish.
fraluchi said:If you can't get asleep in your albergue bunk, and if you want a sleepless night, start counting the sheep in Spanish! Much better in your own language. (btw even Spanish pilgrims are pretty bad at counting - particularly when surrounded by snorers)picosrider said:Of course if you are a complete beginner you may need to learn to count in Spanish.
JohnnieWalker said:picosrider said:How much is that doggie in the window? - Cuanto es el porro en la ventana?
We may be dim but at least some of us know the difference between a "perro" which is a dog and a "porro" which is a joint - as in marajuana. Good luck picosrider on your language adventure!
It is just great to hear from so many of you and to learn that you have been having such a spiffing time on the Camino. From all your comments it is clear that our sense of humour is not dead!tyrrek said:I love your Spanish translations, Picosrider. Especially 'How much is the spliff in the window'. Keep 'em coming!
Buen Camino!
JohnnieWalker said:Except the ones who took their porro for a walk before retiring
Un perro con un porro! Great! Do you also have a cold turkey?Stephen Nicholls said:Life gets really complicated when you've a dog called "Smokey" .... :lol:
One useful phrase that you might learn is "Sonríe a la cámara" (smile at the camera) as you all appear to have looked the opposite way in your avatar :lol:Kiwi-family said:I keep checking this thread to see if the 150 useful phrases will be posted....looks like I'll be asking for a joint of dog (and I thought dog consumption was restricted to Vietnam!)
BTW, all said with tongue in cheek. Enjoying the thread even if it's not helping!!
:lol: I thought i was called marijuana :lol: ...but i am not a native speaker of English. :lol:JohnnieWalker said:We may be dim but at least some of us know the difference between a "perro" which is a dog and a "porro" which is a joint - as in marajuana.
anniethenurse said::lol: I thought i was called marijuana :lol: ...but i am not a native speaker of English. :lol:JohnnieWalker said:We may be dim but at least some of us know the difference between a "perro" which is a dog and a "porro" which is a joint - as in marajuana.
Hi Kiwi, yes we do seem to have been side tracked, but just watch this space, service will be resumed as soon as possible. But to quote from a progressive pilgrims latest adventure "it wont be written before tomorrow at the earliest!"Kiwi-family said:I keep checking this thread to see if the 150 useful phrases will be posted....looks like I'll be asking for a joint of dog (and I thought dog consumption was restricted to Vietnam!)
BTW, all said with tongue in cheek. Enjoying the thread even if it's not helping!!
YES I CAN! Si puedo!picosrider said:I have read that in Spanish, there are only about 20 verbs which are most commonly used. Now these shouldn’t be too difficult to learn, should they?
YO SOY UN DODO!tyrrek said:There are 2 verbs for 'to be' in Spanish - 'Ser' And 'Estar'.
Ser is used to define something, while estar is used to locate something or to describe a temporary state. It can be confusing.
Hi Picosrider!picosrider said:I approached him with credentials in hand and in my best Spanish said, “Disculpe, yo soy peregrino voy a Santiago de Compostella. Puede…..?” – “Excuse me, I am a pilgrim going to Santiago. Can you …..?” And that’s where I stopped. My phrase book didn’t have “stamp our credentials”, or anything like that!
Thank you for showing interest in learning some basic Spanish. I had intended to add some more info, but it appeared that no one was interested in this topic. So now, you, me, and one other makes three!FaithandGratitude said:Just want to say thank you PicosRider for starting this thread as Im finding it very helpful in regards learning various Spanish phrases as I wish to learn/speak more before my first Camino. Gracias!
I thought you were going to Normandy. Head north, as much as the coastline allows.picosrider said:ESTOY PERDIDO – I am lost!
With the very detailed route instructions given in Eric Walker’s guide books Los Caminos del Norte (see http://www.csj.org.uk/acatalog/The_CSJ_ ... in_23.html ) it is very difficult to get lost. But not impossible! New, major road construction and consequent route diversions were our first reason. And the second was cycling thru busy traffic in the city of Gijon when it was impossible to read a guide book!
Hi Kiwi, You were one of the other two! So for you and number 3Kiwi-family said:yay - keep this up! I'm reading and copying.....
...and they're almost always feminine, which makes it even easier.picosrider said:Did you know that there are at least 320 English words ending in TION which like “imagination” translate into an almost identical Spanish word ending in CION, as in “imaginación”
Here are 10 for example - Aqui diez por ejemplo: atención, descripción, destinación, información, intención, liberación reservación, porción, pronunciación, reservación, variación
Hi Meredith,Meredith1 said:A book suggestion: Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish, I keep it handy to pick up at odd times to browse in, and it does help to refresh the Spanish I studied years ago.
Tut! Didn't I warn you these words are feminine? 5/10 and could do better. Only joking. Keep it up Picosrider.picosrider said:Unos Confusiónes
Picosrider, I admire what you're doing and the time you're taking to do it. As you can see I haven't even learned how to put accents on letters on an English keyboard, because I'm so lazy. Even if only a few people pick up tips from this thread it could benefit their Camino massively. You promote language learning, and I promote litter collection. I think you have the advantage on me there!picosrider said:I hate to think what Tyrrek will have to say about this incident. Not many out of 10 for this!
Berlitz Phrase Book to the rescue! Yes it actually does include blanket in its dictionary, la manta.So "Do you have blankets for 11 people, please?" would be - Tiene unos mantas para once gente por favor?Kiwi-family said:Do you have any blankets?.....could be a useful phrase now that we've decided not to take sleeping bags!
It is always amusing to look back at the many incidences when we have tried to communicate in a foreign language. Well worth the trying for the stories to tell!Kiwi-family said:I just remember arriving in Laos and three weeks later realising I was carrying on a conversation that went even further than "I come from New Zealand,
picosrider said:I am not hot, I am cold, becomes I not have hot, I have cold - No tengo calor, tengo frio.
However, when talking about the weather (el tiempo), whilst we say It is hot/cold, they say It makes hot/cold - Hace calor/frio.
Sorry Picosrider but this translation genuinely is confusing.picosrider said:Pero es más caro comprar la comida a las tiendas = But it is more cheap to buy the food at the shops.
Hi tyrrek, you got me again.Yes words were transposed.tyrrek said:barata = cheap
cara = expensive or dear
I always have to think twice even in English! Buen Camino!picosrider said:I also have a problem with right and left. La derecha y la izquerda, or is it the other way round?
I have to thank Tyrrek for the above, which he posted in the thread Essential Spanishtyrrek said:There are a few expressions that are adaptable and useful to know. 'Hay' (pron. Eye) is one. Depending on how you inflect your voice it can be a question or a statement, so 'Hay bocadillos' can mean 'Are there sandwiches?' or 'There are sandwiches' depending on how you say/write it.
Hay un albergue aqui? (Is there an albergue here?)
Hay una misa a las nueve? (Is there a mass at 9 o'clock?)
Hay pulpo. (There is octopus, or better 'we sell octopus'.)
Hay un raton en mi cama. (There is a mouse in my bed.)
Buen Camino!
...and that also applies to us, coming from Latin America.Javier Martin said:Good idea to translate the most common words to have a better communicaton.
You're joking now aren't you? I assume it would be 'vinagre de sidra', but I don't know how likely you are to find it, even in the major towns. Cider is relatively popular in North West Spain though, so I may well be wrong.Kiwi-family said:question: how do you say apple cider vinegar?
And is it readily available along the route?
tyrrek said:You're joking now aren't you? I assume it would be 'vinagre de sidra', but I don't know how likely you are to find it, even in the major towns. Cider is relatively popular in North West Spain though, so I may well be wrong.Kiwi-family said:question: how do you say apple cider vinegar?
And is it readily available along the route?
Oh, and things like sushi are hard to find as well.
Buen Camino!
Just in case you do, this place has a recommendation from someone you may well know!Kiwi-family said:...and won't look out for sushi either ...
In reply I said “Like you, I am a browser. My limited knowledge of Spanish is self taught, starting with the Berlitz Phrase Book. It is still my bible. In anticipation of my visits to Spain (third one starts next month) I do a crash re-learning course and add a bit more new grammar and vocabulary. I have got to the stage now where I actually enjoy learning Spanish, I just wish I could speak it!”Meredith1 said:A book suggestion: Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish, I keep it handy to pick up at odd times to browse in, and it does help to refresh the Spanish I studied years ago.
Quite true! But in the context of andando (walking) the Camino, very appropriate! Only yesterday there was a posting on this forum from someone, excited about having their first blister! And I well remember the many blistered feet that I saw along the camino and thanked my good fortune of going on a bicycle. (I expect that statement will cause feathers to fly!)tyrrek said:Let's face it, words like 'blister' are not among the first you would learn.
I think that this would be a case for using the international language of pointing!Kiwi-family said:next question: how do you say "Where can I put this rubbish?"
Glad you're joining the litter pickers Kiwi!Kiwi-family said:next question: how do you say "Where can I put this rubbish?" (as in if we have picked up rubbish along the route for the day and have a big bag full and haven't noticed an obvious dumping spot.
Hi vagabondette!vagabondette said:Tip for remembering ser and estar: How you are and where you are, that is when you use estar.
That'll get you through 90+% of statements correctly and is easy to remember.
also for those who want to get picky about eso/esto, remember that: this and these have "t"s.
que es eso? what is this? (generally pointing to something right in front of you)
que es esto? what is that? (generally pointing to something a little distance away)
Ha ha! That was exactly the other example I had in mind. When I was learning Spanish I used 'estoy'. These days I tend to use 'soy'!vagabondette said:I had one friend who finally got corrected about her usage but that's because she was consistently using the wrong form and saying the wrong thing. She kept saying "soy borracha" instead of "estoy borracha" which would indicate she was permanently drunk (an alcoholic) vs. just drunk for the evening. While technically "soy borracha" was probably correct in her case, it's generally not something you want to advertise to people.
He probalby would be better cycling.....indeed, we considered the option for all of us....here's our decision: 1) we are not lugging eleven bikes halfway round the world 2) we want to do this together and when we looked at routes it seemed a fair bit of time would be separated if some walked and others rode 3) the little kids don't have decent bikes anyway 4) I can walk but cannot cycle (knee issues) 5) he was keen to take up walking in case he ever can't cycle!picosrider said:On a different subject,Kiwi, I noted that grandfather is to walk the camino. You mention that he is a keen cyclist. Wouldn't he be better off "montando la bicicleta", cycling. More fun, less blisters!
There are of course 4 versions of "you" in Spanish, but I made a conscious decision to ignore this. The formal "tiene" will get us learners understood, and this is what "how to get by in Spanish" is all about. So at this stage in our learning, why complicate matters!vagabondette said:For those not familiar with Spanish verb conjugation, the "you"
picosrider said:There are of course 4 versions of "you" in Spanish, but I made a conscious decision to ignore this. The formal "tiene" will get us learners understood, and this is what "how to get by in Spanish" is all about. So at this stage in our learning, why complicate matters!vagabondette said:For those not familiar with Spanish verb conjugation, the "you"
There is a limit to how much we can absorb in a short time, and ideally it should be in small chunks spread over weeks and months. I don’t have that luxury as I am of to Santiago in 36 hours time. So I have tried to pick words, nouns and verbs, which might be the most useful.
And yes I have made errors, mainly as a result of rushing things. However it is useful for you and others, to point out my many errors, because it is very true that we learn more from making mistakes (or seeing others do so) than getting things right. Other people are more likely to remember your corrections, than if I had got things right the first time. It also helps to reinforce what I said at the beginning of this thread. We are reluctant to try to speak a foreign language in case we make mistakes and make fools of our selves. Well I have made lots of mistakes, and seen by lots of people. So do I feel a fool? Definitely not. I have gained in confidence and now feel much better equiped for my next Spanish adventure.
I just hope that someone will continue where I have left off.
I am not complaining about criticism. I agree with what you say. I was just pointing out that I did not have the time to go into greater detail so had to be selective.vagabondette said:"My post wasn't meant to criticize ...."
And "She kept saying "soy borracha" instead of "estoy borracha" which would indicate she was permanently drunk (an alcoholic) vs. just drunk for the evening. While technically "soy borracha" was probably correct in her case, it's generally not something you want to advertise to people"
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?