miércoles, 7 de septiembre de 2011

Está abierto, está cerrado. It's open, it's closed.

We will use "abierta" or "cerrada" for female words: La puerta
We will use "abierto" or "cerrado" for male words: El ojo


La puerta está abierta
The door is open





La puerta está cerrada
The door is closed



El ojo está abierto
The eye is open
El ojo está cerrado
The eye is closed


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lunes, 5 de septiembre de 2011

Un tributo a los trabajadores. A tribute to workers.


Estas son algunas de las profesiones más duras.
These are some of the toughest professions

¡Gracias a todos!
Thank you all!

Trabajador de construcción
Construction worker

Bombero
Fireman
Pescador
Fisherman
Agricultor
Farmer



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viernes, 26 de agosto de 2011

Casas con Historia. Homes with History

RANCHO

CASTILLO

CHOZA

HACIENDA


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lunes, 22 de agosto de 2011

Jugar - Tocar. To play in Spanish


The verb TO PLAY in Spanish uses two different verbs: 
One for instruments (TOCAR) and one for playing for fun (JUGAR)


Yo toco el piano. I play the piano


Mi hija juega con su amiga. My daughter plays with her friend
....

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jueves, 18 de agosto de 2011

¿Qué hora es? What time is it?

La hora. The time. 
Es la una en punto. It's one o'clock



We will use the plural when it's more that 1 hours:
Son las dos en punto. It's two o'clock.
Son las tres. It's three o'clock...


1.15 

Es la una Y CUARTO. It's A QUARTER PAST one 


2.30
Son las dos Y MEDIA. It's A HALF PAST two


3.45
Son las cuatro MENOS CUARTO. It's A QUARTER TO four


3.55
Son las cuatro MENOS CINCO. It's FIVE TO four

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lunes, 15 de agosto de 2011

Ciudad o campo. City or country in Spanish

La ciudad                                               El campo
                     
¿Dónde viven, en la ciudad o en el campo? Where do you live, in the city or in the country?

Me gusta vivir en la ciudad y me gusta viajar al campo por vacaciones. I like to live in the city and travel to the country on holidays.


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viernes, 12 de agosto de 2011

Direcciones. Asking directions while driving in Spanish.



-¿Puede decirme cómo puedo llegar a la playaCan you tell me how I can get to the beach? 
- Siga usted recto por esta carretera; después gire a la derecha en el próximo cruce. Go on straight on this road; then turn right on the next crossroads
-Gracias. Thank you.
- De nada. You’re welcome

You can also check Street directions in Spanish:

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jueves, 11 de agosto de 2011

Casarse. To get married in Spanish



Una boda = A wedding
Casarse = To get married

"Nos casamos en Agosto. La boda es en Nueva York"
"We get married on August. The wedding is in New York"


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miércoles, 10 de agosto de 2011

Mis películas favoritas. My favourite movies


Me encanta el cine. Estas son algunas de mis películas favoritas. Me gusta verlas en las salas de cine o en casa.
I love cinema. These are some of my favourite movies. 
I like to watch them at the movie theaters or at home.



Like water for chocolate
Talk to her




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lunes, 8 de agosto de 2011

Haciendo una reserva de hotel - Making a hotel reservation in Spanish




-¿Tiene alguna habitación doble? Do you have any double rooms?

-¿Para cuántas noches? For how many nights?

-Sólo para una noche. Just for one night.

-Sí, tenemos una disponible. Yes, we have one available.

-Estupendo, gracias. Great, thanks.

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viernes, 5 de agosto de 2011

Comprando comida. Food shopping.



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jueves, 4 de agosto de 2011

En el mostrador de Check In - At the Check In counter


¿A qué hora tengo que estar en la puerta de embarque?
What time do I have to be at the boarding gate?

A eso de las 12:00
Around 12:00

A que hora sale mi vuelo?
At what time does my plane leave?

A la una en punto.
At one o’clock.


¡Gracias!

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miércoles, 3 de agosto de 2011

Time expressions in Spanish - Expresiones de tiempo



más tarde  later
hoy  today
esta noche  tonight
mañana  tomorrow
mañana por la mañana  tomorrow morning
mañana por la tarde  tomorrow afternoon
mañana por la noche  tomorrow night
pasado mañana  the day after tomorrow
la semana próxima next week
el mes próximo  next month
el año próximo  next year




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lunes, 1 de agosto de 2011

Beach vocabulary in Spanish


En la playa con:
At the beach with:

Una toalla
A towel

Un sombrero
A hat

Unas gafas de sol
Sunglasses

Un libro
A book




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jueves, 28 de julio de 2011

Contratar = To hire



   Contratar = To hire
   Contrato = Contract
   Darse la mano = To shake hands

Cuando contrato a un empleado firmamos el contrato y nos damos la mano.
When I hire an employee we sign the contract and we shake hands.

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miércoles, 27 de julio de 2011

Escribir = To Write

Mafalda  

Mafalda escribe un email. Escribe a sus amigos. Escribe acerca de sus vacaciones.


Mafalda writes an e-mail. She writes (to) her friends. She writes about her vacation.












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lunes, 25 de julio de 2011

"Al fresco"

"Al fresco" is a Spanish expression meaning: "outdoors". 



Cenando "al fresco" 
Dining "al fresco" (outdoors)



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viernes, 22 de julio de 2011

Educational technology: The evolution of classroom technology


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jueves, 21 de julio de 2011

Cascada/Catarata = Waterfall

Cascada = Small waterfall

Catarata = Big waterfall

Cascada
Catarata
  


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lunes, 18 de julio de 2011

Los sentimientos positivos = positive feelings


  • feliz = happy
  • la alegría = joy
  • alegrarse = to be happy
  • tranquilo =calm
  • el amor = love
  • el cariño = affection
  • desear =  wish
  • la felicidad = happiness







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miércoles, 13 de julio de 2011

Derecho vs. Derecha





Derecho = Straight
Derecha = Right

Sigue derecho = Follow straight
Gira a la derecha = Turn right

Note that "derecho" also works as an adjective for "right". As in "lado derecho" = "right side"








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lunes, 11 de julio de 2011

Esperar - To wait or To hope




El hombre espera al autobús
The man waits for the bus



La niña espera tener una bicicleta de regalo
The girl hopes to have a bike as a present





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martes, 5 de julio de 2011

Using the verb "llevar" in Spanish


In Spanish we use the verb "llevar" to signify different related actions:

To carry
To take to
To move to
To have with you (when going somewhere)
To lead to
To go (food to go = comida para llevar)



Caperucita lleva comida a su abuelita

Little red riding hood takes food to her grandma





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jueves, 30 de junio de 2011

Anciano = Old man


To say "viejo" (old) to an old man can be a little disrespectful. It is better to use the term "anciano" for an old man and "anciana" for an old woman.





Anciano = Old man
Sabio = Wise
Sabiduría = Wisdom

El anciano es sabio. Tiene una gran sabiduría
The old man is wise. He has a great wisdom.

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viernes, 24 de junio de 2011

NYC. La ciudad de la luz. The city of light.






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Primero Hay Que Aprender Español.

Damon Winter/The New York Times
Nicholas D. Kristof


Primero Hay Que Aprender Español. Ranhou Zai Xue Zhongwen.


A quiz: If a person who speaks three languages is trilingual, and one who speaks four languages is quadrilingual, what is someone called who speaks no foreign languages at all?
Answer: an American.
Yet these days, we’re seeing Americans engaged in a headlong and ambitious rush to learn Chinese — or, more precisely, to get their kids to learn Chinese. Everywhere I turn, people are asking me the best way for their children to learn Chinese.
Partly that’s because Chinese classes have replaced violin classes as the latest in competitive parenting, and partly because my wife and I speak Chinese and I have tortured our three kids by trying to raise them bilingual. Chinese is still far less common in schools or universities than Spanish or French, but it is surging and has the “cool factor” behind it — so public and private schools alike are hastening to add Chinese to the curriculum.
In New York City alone, about 80 schools offer Chinese, with some programs beginning in kindergarten. And let’s be frank: If your child hasn’t started Mandarin classes by third grade, he or she will never amount to anything.
Just kidding. In fact, I think the rush to Chinese is missing something closer to home: the paramount importance for our children of learning Spanish.
Look, I’m a fervent believer in more American kids learning Chinese. But the language that will be essential for Americans and has far more day-to-day applications is Spanish. Every child in the United States should learn Spanish, beginning in elementary school; Chinese makes a terrific addition to Spanish, but not a substitute.
Spanish may not be as prestigious as Mandarin, but it’s an everyday presence in the United States — and will become even more so. Hispanics made up 16 percent of America’s population in 2009, but that is forecast to surge to 29 percent by 2050, according to estimates by the Pew Research Center.
As the United States increasingly integrates economically with Latin America, Spanish will become more crucial in our lives. More Americans will take vacations in Latin America, do business in Spanish, and eventually move south to retire in countries where the cost of living is far cheaper.
We’re already seeing growing numbers of Americans retire in Costa Rica, drawn by weather and lifestyle as well as low costs and good health care. We’ll also see more and more little bits of Florida that just happen to be located in Mexico, Panama or Dominican Republic.
Another reason to bet on Spanish is that Latin America is, finally, getting its act together. Of all regions of the world, it was arguably Latin America that rode the recent economic crisis most comfortably. That means that Spanish study does more than facilitate piña coladas on the beach at Cozumel. It’ll be a language of business opportunity in the coming decades. We need to turn our competitive minds not only east, but also south.
Moreover, Spanish is easy enough that kids really can emerge from high school with a very useful command of the language that they will retain for life, while Mandarin takes about four times as long to make the same progress. Chinese has negligible grammar — no singular or plural, no verb conjugations, no pesky masculine and feminine nouns — but there are thousands of characters to memorize as well as the landmines of any tonal language.
The standard way to ask somebody a question in Chinese is “qing wen,” with the “wen” in a falling tone. That means roughly: May I ask something? But ask the same “qing wen” with the “wen” first falling and then rising, and it means roughly: May I have a kiss?
That’s probably why trade relations are so strained between our countries. Our negotiators think they’re asking questions about tariffs, and the Chinese respond indignantly that kissing would be inappropriate. Leaving both sides confused.
In effect, Chinese is typically a career. Spanish is a practical add-on to your daily life, meshing with whatever career you choose. If you become a mechanic, you’ll be able to communicate better with some customers. If you’re the president, you’ll campaign more effectively in Texas and Florida.
China will probably be the world’s largest economy within our children’s lifetimes and a monumental force in every dimension of life. Studying Chinese gives you insight into one of the world’s great civilizations and creates a wealth of opportunities — plus, it’ll be a godsend if you’re ever called upon to pronounce a name like, say, Qin Qiuxue.
So, by all means, have your kids dive into the glamorous world of Mandarin. But don’t forget the language that will likely be far more important in their lives: el idioma más importante es Español!
(In case you were wondering, that headline says: First learn Spanish. Then study Chinese.)

A version of this op-ed appeared in print on December 30, 2010, on page A29 of the New York edition.


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jueves, 23 de junio de 2011

Compliments in Spanish - Cumplidos



¡Muy bien! – Very well!
                           ¡Buen trabajo! – Good work!
¡Sigue así! – Keep up the good work!
¡Te felicito! – Congratulations!




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martes, 14 de junio de 2011

To get married = Casarse



To get married = Casarse

I'm going to get married = Voy a casarme

A wedding = Una boda

Wife = Esposa

Husband = Esposo


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viernes, 10 de junio de 2011

Where is the restroom? = ¿Dónde están los servicios?




Where is the restroom? = ¿Dónde están los servicios? 

Are they vacant? = ¿Están libres?

Are they occupied? = ¿Están ocupados?



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jueves, 9 de junio de 2011

The oldest house in New York. La casa más antigua de Nueva York

La casa más antigua de Nueva York está en Brooklyn. Fue construida en 1652.



The Wyckoff House


Ahora es un Museo.

The Wyckoff House Museum


Source: http://www.wyckoffassociation.org/

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lunes, 23 de mayo de 2011

The future in Spanish




The future is one of the simplest Spanish tenses. There is only one set of endings and most verbs - even those which are irregular in the present tense - use their infinitive as the root of the conjugation.

Example: HABLAR - TO TALK

I will talk, you will talk, he/she will talk, we will talk, you will talk, they will talk



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jueves, 19 de mayo de 2011

"Por"and "Para"

...

"Por" has a transtional meaning, its a reason or a way.

"Para" has a directional way expressing direction or future.


A: ¿ POR cuánto tiempo estarás allí?
B: POR cinco días. Debo estar de regreso PARA el martes.


A: No pude dormir POR el calor que hacía.
B: Yo duermo con todas las ventanas abiertas PARA poder dormir bien.


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miércoles, 11 de mayo de 2011

Trancón - Traffic Jam





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Antes y después


Antes = Before

Después = After


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martes, 10 de mayo de 2011

Pets - Animales domésticos

La gente saca a pasear a sus animales domésticos en Primavera
(People walk their pets in Spring)

Animales domésticos son:

Los gatos (Cats)
Los perros (Dogs)
Los hámsters (Hamsters)
...



Perros en la calle


Algunas tortugas son también animales domésticos
(Some turtles are pets too)


Una tortuga



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jueves, 5 de mayo de 2011

NOVATO - ROOKIE

El novato - The rookie

Es un novato - He is inexperienced, a beginner, green, novice...

"Novato" comes from the same latin root as "nuevo" = New



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miércoles, 4 de mayo de 2011

The Numbers - Los números


1 UNO 2 DOS 3 TRES 4 CUATRO 5 CINCO 6 SEIS 7 SIETE 8 OCHO 9 NUEVE 10 DIEZ 11 ONCE 12 DOCE 13 TRECE 14 CATORCE 15 QUINCE 


16 DIECISEIS 17 DIECISIETE 18 DIECIOCHO 19 DIECINUEVE 

20 VEINTE 21 VEINTIUNO 22 VEINTIDOS...

After 30 numbers are written in 3 words, but formed exactly the same:

30 TREINTA 31 TREINTA Y UNO 32 TREINTA Y DOS...

40 CUARENTA 50 CINCUENTA 60 SESENTA 70 SETENTA 80 OCHENTA 90 NOVENTA

100 CIEN (when the number goes alone) 100 CIENTO... (when another number follows)
101 CIENTO UNO 104 CIENTO CUATRO 113 CIENTO TRECE 146 CIENTO
CUARENTA Y SEIS 175 CIENTO SETENTA Y CINCO 100 CIEN 139 CIENTO
TREINTA Y NUEVE 198 CIENTO NOVENTA Y OCHO 

200 DOSCIENTOS 300 TRESCIENTOS 400 CUATROCIENTOS 500 QUINIENTOS 600 SEISCIENTOS 700 SETECIENTOS 800 OCHOCIENTOS 900 NOVECIENTOS 1000 MIL 2000 DOS MIL 3000 TRES MIL 4000 CUATRO MIL...

100.000 CIEN MIL, 200.000 DOSCIENTOS MIL...

EXAMPLES (EJEMPLOS)

45.007 CUARENTA Y CINCO MIL SIETE
322.515 TRESCIENTOS VEINTIDOS MIL QUINIENTOS QUINCE



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martes, 3 de mayo de 2011

El reloj - The clock


El reloj - The clock 


La hora - The time


¿Qué hora es? - What time is it?


Son las tres menos cuarto - It´s a quarter to three


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