Spanish Word of the Day

Quote: Nareed

IN the case of a sign, in Spanish one would most likely use the expression "¿Que dice el letrero?"

Could you use the words seña or signo interchangeably? I suspect the answer is "no".

¿Que dice el letrero?
¿Que dice la seña?
¿Que dice el signo?

If you see a sign with just a symbol, is it still referred to as el letrero?



The Romance language habit of adding suffix to a noun to indicate a related noun is not as common in English
letrero
vaquero
llavero
guantera
regadera
sordera
borrachera
higuera
morera

English is more likely to use combined words or phrase like "cowboy" or "glove compartment".

Quote: Pacomartin

Could you use the words seña or signo interchangeably? I suspect the answer is "no".

Exactly.

Short version:

letrero = sign
señal = signal
signo = sign, but specialized as in a Zodiac sign. In fact, I don't think you come across it much outside of Zodiac signs.
seña = an identifying mark particular to an individual (señas particulares), or body and facial expressions used to communicate without the use of language (and I commonly don't get most such attempts).

The only other word used for letrero is rótulo, and that's highly uncommon in conversation. Still, shops that make signs, usually printed or painted on fabric or fabric-like materials, advertise the word "ROTULO" in big letters.

Thanks for the brilliant explanation.
The (signo = sign) is another example of true cognates (they come from the same Latin word) but "false friends" as they don't mean the same thing.

Do Mexicans have the equivalent of the British "brilliant" as an exclamation?


American English does not have a consistent response. Sometime this one will do.

Quote: Pacomartin

Thanks for the brilliant explanation.

You're welcome. And thanks for the flattery.

Quote:

Do Mexicans have the equivalent of the British "brilliant" as an exclamation?

Sort of. But it's very slanged up and constantly changing. Expressions I can recall are "de pelos," "de poca madre," "chingón" (and this one's considered bad language). None of these expressions by itself means anything, so don't try to analyze them.

I'm thinking of buying a Spanish keyboard, because I'm sick of doing the alt codes to make Spanish characters. My question is with keyboards like this one, how do you make the accented vowels?

Quote: Wizard

I'm thinking of buying a Spanish keyboard, because I'm sick of doing the alt codes to make Spanish characters. My question is with keyboards like this one, how do you make the accented vowels?

It's not that simple >:)

First, see the options for other keyboards on your PC (or Mac). These vary. The one in my laptop doesn't match the one assigned by Windows exactly (the @ is grouped with the Q and not with the 2 as the keyboard claims). Then get the keyboard that matches one fo the options, then you need to see whether all the keys actually print what they say they do or not.

For accents, the key next to the Ñ in the photo has a tilted apostrophe. That's the accent mark. First you click that key, then the vowel you want. If you chose an "a" you end up with "á"

Of course the apostrophe will be elsewhere.

Next note the left "alt" key is unchanged, but the one on the right is labeled "Alt Gr." You use that key to access the third character on such keys that have it.

Finally, not only the apostrophe but a great many punctuation marks will be elsewhere.

From the time I started using computers, starting with an Apple ][e in the 80s, until the launch of Windows95, all my keyboards were standard US English layout. The change to the Spanish keyboard took some getting used to.

Quote: Nareed

"chingón" (and this one's considered bad language)

I meant in polite conversation


I notice my cousin's wife, from Dominican Republic, says "Exactly" as an exclamation. I don't know if English or Spanish speakers started saying it first.

Quote: Pacomartin

I meant in polite conversation

So did I.

If you announce you've won the lottery, or scored an A in a test, or any other such good news, people will congratulate you. But no one will come up with a dictionary word like "awsome."

Quote: Nareed

It's not that simple >:)...

Dang. Thanks for the advice. You've scared me off buying one.

Fecha: 28-10-13
Palabra: Jejene

It isn't often I say this, but I'm not exactly sure what jejene means. It can't be found in any dictionaries I tried, including the one Nareed gave me. An Internet search indicates it is some kind of small insect, but sources disagree on exactly which one. I've seen small mosquito, black fly, and gnat.

I'll leave it to the advanced readers for clarification.

Quote: Wizard

Dang. Thanks for the advice. You've scared me off buying one.

Sorry. I'd hate to have seen you stuck with a keyboard with, say the accent next to the P (as it is in my keyboard), when it's marked as being somewhere else.

Quote:

I'll leave it to the advanced readers for clarification.

Sorry, again. It kind of rings a bell, but I can't say I know it. Also, I'm intensely phobic about insects (and I mean INTENSELY).