Last updated on
Wednesday, August 10, 2011 1:50 PM EDT
Not all
nouns ending in a are feminine
There are many examples of common nouns that end in a and are masculine. You need to take
this into account when making them agree with articles and adjectives.
Note that many of these words are of Greek origin, some of which are
rather technical.
el día, day
muchos días maravillosos, (never muchas días maravillosas), many wonderful days
Un programa exitoso (never una
programa exitosa), a successful program
Un problema extraordinario (never una problema extraordinaria), an extraordinary problem
Un poema magnífico, a magnificent poem Un mapa extenso (never una mapa
extensa), a large map los planetas lejanos, far planets el cometa, comet
el gran dilema, the big dilemma el fonema, phoneme el aroma, aroma el fantasma, phantom, ghost el panorama, panorama el
sistema, system el morfema, morfeme (and many
other linguistic terms ending in -ma) un tema divertido, a funny subject
(theme) el enfisema, emphysema el clima caluroso, hot weather el edema, edema el eczema, eczema (and many other
health related terms ending in -ema, -oma) el crucigrama, crossword puzzle el organigrama, organization
chart, flow chart el fonograma, phonogram el telegrama, telegram (and most
words ending in -rama) Many nouns ending in -ista and referring to males are masculine. When they refer to
females they take the corresponding feminine articles and adjectives,
but the noun ending remains -ista. Note
that many of these nouns correspond to the suffix -ist in English. el taxista, taxi driver (la
taxista would the female taxi driver). el analista, analyst el comunista, communist el laborista, Labor Party member el anarquista, anarchist el alquimista, alchemist el columnista, columnist
(journalism) un deportista, a sports person,
athlete un conferencista, a lecturer el periodista, journalist el cronista, feature writer el novelista, novelist el cuentista, fiction writer el rescatista, rescuer (a
common word used in many countries but neglected by the RAE) el socorrista, rescuer el alpinista, mountain climber el bañista, bather, swimmer el recepcionista, receptionist el dentista, dentist el inversionista, investor el paracaidista, paratrooper el concertista, music performer el anestesista, anesthetist el especialista, specialist el tenista, tennis player el velocista, runner, sprinter el ajedrecista, chess player el golfista, golf player el basquetbolista, basketball
player el clavadista, diver el beisbolista, baseball player el contrabandista, smuggler el extremista, extremist el racista, racist el narcisista, narcissist el antagonista, antagonist el oficinista, office clerk el manicurista, manicurist (note
that this word is related to la mano,
hand) el pedicurista, pedicurist (note
that this word is related to el pie,
foot) el machista, male chauvinist el maquillista, make up specialist el estilista, hairdresser el especialista, specialist el adventista, Adventist el artista, artist el retratista, portrait artist el caricaturista, cartoonist el turista, tourist el arreglista, music composer,
arranger el pianista, pianist el baterista, drummer el trompetista, trumpeter el organista, organist el violinista, violinist el acordionista, accordionist el guitarrista, guitarist el malabarista, juggler el maquinista, a person working on
a train locomotive el transportista, a person working
in transportation Watch out: Not all -ist English nouns have -ista Spanish counterparts: anthropologist, el antropólogo (not antropologista). Here are some more nouns el policía, policeman (la policía,
police department or police woman) el guardia, guard el atleta, athlete el espía, spy el poeta famoso, a famous poet el cura, priest el sofá, sofa el tequila, tequila el vigía, watchman 20060712 (Latest update: 20110731) (spanishNY.com) top
10 expressions that are not so easy to figure out (23)
Here are 10 common random idioms you may have trouble with if you hear them for the first time:
Expression
Approximate literal translation (what you might think you actually heard)
Explanation
deshuesadero (m) (MX)
what? hueso = bone. Unboner? Disboner?
scrapeyard
¿será?
will it be? (Future of probablility of ser)
Would it be possible?, Could it be possible?, I wonder if that's the case.
retomar su rumbo.
what? To retake one's direction?
to get back on track.
cayó el ladrón (el ladrón cayó)
What? the robber fell?
the robber was arrested.
te disparo una hamburguesa. (MX)
what? I shoot you a hamburger?
Let me buy you a hamburger.
dar un aventón (MX) / Pedir un aventón
what?
to give a ride / to hitchhike
comprobante
what?
A document used to verify something. A receipt, invoice, bill, etc.
manos a la obra
hands to the work?
Let's do it, let's roll.
te conviene
it's convenient for you
either that, or it's advisable for you.
No tengo inconveniente con eso / no tengo ningún inconveniente.
When you read a Spanish text, you should always know where the stress of each word is. Just follow these 2 rules:
Words with no accent mark:
If you see a word with no accent mark, then,
Does it end in any consonant, except N or S? THEN the stress is on the last syllable.
doctor, lugar, poder, frijol, Brasil, gobernador, alcohol, mundial, estoy, facilidad, azul, monitor, ciudad, etc. (In Spanish, any consonant different than N or S mostly means D, L, R, Y as in soy and estoy, ReloJ is probably the only one ending in J, Z as in paz, faz, tez.
Otherwise, it ends in A, E, I, O, U, N, S, therefore, the stress falls on the 2nd to last syllable:
resumen, virgen, camarote, figura, abanico, amarillo, verde, rojo, negro, rosa, and many plural nouns: camisas, camiones, papeles, botellas, personas, lentes, pantalones, etc. etc.
Words with accent mark:
If you see a word with an accent mark (Spanish words will never have more than 1) then that word breaks the 2 rules above. Disregard the two rules and stress the syllable with the accent mark on it, so it's that easy.
difícil, israelí, británico, camión, avión, fácil, dímelo, dáselo, (some preterite tense regular verbs require the accent) comió, estudió, bañó, resbaló, cayó, (Many verbs in the imperfect) creía, decía, estudiábamos, decíamos, (future and conditional tenses) diré, vendré, comeré, diría, vendría, comería (if the singular noun has an accent mark on the 3rd to last syllable, then it will keep the accent in the plural) libélula, libélulas, jícama, jícamas, sábado, sábados. The accent mark is used sometimes to split a syllable into 2, Raúl, sandía. Z Last names: González, Fernández, Rodríguez, etc.
To wear in Spanish is not as simple as in English. Most beginner's books only teach llevar, that's the easy way out for teachers. That works just fine for beginner students.
These are examples of more options you have:
llevo puesta una camisa negra
I'm wearing a black shirt
tengo puestos unos pantalones negros
I'm wearing black pants
llevo puesto un abrigo
I'm wearing an overcoat
traigo puestos unos zapatos deportivos
I'm wearing sneakers
tú llevas puesto un suéterverde
You are wearing a green sweater
Luisa no lleva puesto el collar
Luisa is not wearing her necklace
Remember, to put on in Spanish is ponerse. (reflexive poner, which is also used sometimes for to become)
The past participle of poner is puesto. We will use puesto as an adjective, and we have 4 options:
tengo puesto un sombrero (a hat)
llevo puesta una gorra (a cap)
traigo puestos unos zapatos de piel (leather shoes)
tengo puestas unas gafas de sol (sun glasses)
The past participle agrees with the piece of cloth, not with the gender of the person who wears it.
Tener puesto means that you are wearing something at that moment. You have something on.
The other two verbs, llevar and traer, are movement verbs, so you use them when you are going somewhere, maybe to a party, school, work, etc.
Llevar puesto is more specific than just llevar. Llevar could also mean that you are carring it in your backpack.
You could also use the verb usar.
Yo nunca uso zapatos hechos en China. I never wear shoes made in China.
Tengo una camisa negra doesn't necessarily sound like you are wearing it. It sounds like you own one.
Sir Anthony Hopkins visited Mexico City to promote his most recent film "The Rite." Of course, he needed to visit the late news program with the highest rating. The TV anchor is Joaquín López-Dóriga (born in Spain by the way). These are excerpts from his magnificent interview. One more detail, this TV anchor's AKA is "The Teacher" (in English).
One of the many mistakes he makes, he asks Hopkins "is it a real history?" In Spanish we have only one work for both history and story: historia. I like the way he moves his hands to try to make Hopkins understand his Spanish questions.
10 expressions that are not so easy to figure out (17)
Here are 10 common random idioms you may have trouble with if you hear them for the first time:
Expression
Approximate literal translation (what you might think you actually heard)
Explanation
¿Quién dijo yo? (Mx) (also, ¿quién se anima?)
Who said me?, who said I?
Who volunteers? It's an expression similar to "C'mon, raise your hands". (who wants to do it?, who wants to answer?). Like in a classroom, but it applies to many other situations.
sensación térmica (MX), factor viento.
thermal sensation.
Wind chill, real feel.
Echando a perder se aprende.
(+-) You learn by ruining things.
Experience is the best teacher.
Patadas de ahogado.
Drowning man's kicks.
Useless effort.
A sus órdenes / Quedo de usted. (formal)
Lit: At your orders / I remain yours.
Truly Yours, Yours Truly
Cotorrear a alguien (MX)
What? To parrot someone? (cotorro, cotorra= parrot)
To pull someone's leg.
Ser buena onda (MX)
Lit: to be good wave, to be good vibe. (for example, a microwave oven is horno de microondas).
I want to introduce to you this very irregular verb, erguir, which means to raise, to lift, to stand up. It's formal, so not many people use it on everyday speech, but it's interesting. in fact, I just noticed the variety of possible conjugations yesterday while I was in a class. This is the conjugation chart from the Royal Academy (cut and paste). You have two or three choices for certain conjugations, and I had never heard some of them in my life until yesterday.
Erguir
Infinitivo
erguir
Participio
erguido
Gerundio
irguiendo
INDICATIVO
SUBJUNTIVO
Presente
yergo o irgo
yergues o irgues / erguís
yergue o irgue
erguimos
erguís / yerguen o irguen
yerguen o irguen
irguiera o irguiese
irguieras o irguieses
irguiera o irguiese
irguiéramos o irguiésemos
irguierais o irguieseis / irguieran o irguiesen
irguieran o irguiesen
It's a pop culture thing to refer to famous ladies using the definite article to convey something like "the one and only of its kind". For example:
La Monroe
The one and only miss Monroe. It's like if there were no other women with the last name Monroe.
La Taylor
La Félix, also La Doña (classic Mexican actress)
La Hayek
La Vero (Verónica Castro). A telenovela actress quite popular in Latin America and Eastern Europe. In this case it's not the last name but part of the first name. Well, they call her also La Castro.
La Kahlo
(BTW picture above taken in 1930's on 14th St. between 5th and 6th Avenues, most likely at, or right next to the old 24x7 Gym building).
There are many more "las" than the ones I just mentioned. It's just an example. This is used mostly with actresses, writers, singers, mostly arts and sports women. No, I don't think this is done for men.
