May
28
2009
Spanish Word: Queso
English Word: Cheese
Pronunciation: keh-soh’
Function: noun
If you’re dining in a quaint Spanish restaurant or sampling the local brew in one of the tapas bars, you might have a craving for a slice of their local cheese. The word is pronounced as keh-soh’ and here’s how you will use it in a sentence.
Example: Una ración de queso por favor.
Translation: A portion of the cheese, please.
May
25
2009
Spanish Word: Nocturno
English Word: Evening, night
Pronunciation: knock-tur-noh’
Function: adjective
You may have noticed that the function of the word nocturno as it is described here is an adjective. This is because in Spanish, the word is used not as a noun – but as an adjective to describe how things are happening at night, or how clubs or establishments are still open during the evenings.
Example: Donde está el club nocturne?
Translation: Where is the nightclub?
May
22
2009
Spanish Word: Derecho
English Word: Straight
Pronunciation: day-ray’-cho
Function: noun
There is actually quite a number of meanings for the Spanish word derecho. It could refer to being lawful or just; it can refer to the taxes or the customs department, or it could also refer to the right side of a piece of clothing. However, we will focus here on the use of derecho when asking directions – which pretty much means that you need to go straight ahead.
Example: Ir derecho…
Translation: To go straight…
May
18
2009
Spanish Word: Suficiente
English Word: Enough, sufficient
Pronunciation: soo-fee-the-en’tay
Function: adjective
Let’s say that you’re having dinner and you hear a new Spanish companion say something about not having enough money on him or her to pay for the meal, this is what you will usually hear:
Example: No dinero suficiente.
Translation: I don’t have enough money on me.
Another sentence that you might hear the locals say when they talk to each other is “No tienes la estatura suficiente” which means that you’re not tall enough.
May
14
2009
Spanish Word: Necesito…
English Word: I need.
Pronunciation: nay-they-se-toh’
Function: transitive verb
When traveling to any part of Spain, you do need to learn what to say so that you can express what is it exactly that you need. This is where the Spanish word necesito becomes handy.
Example: Necesito que me lo digas…
Translation: I need you to tell me…
May
11
2009
Spanish Word: ¡Socorro!
English Word: Help!
Pronunciation: so-cor’-ro
Function: verb
Another Spanish term for help is ayuda – although if you are in an emergency, the term socorro is more often used. Naturally, you would want anybody within hearing distance to come to your aid in case you encounter any type of emergency which is why it is a must to learn about this Spanish term for the word “Help!”
Example: ¡Socorro!
Translation: Help!
May
8
2009
Spanish Word: Quiero…
English Word: I want…
Pronunciation: kee-ye-ro
Function: verb
Let’s say that you are out traveling in Spain or in any Spanish-speaking country and you want to ask directions to the restaurant. How will you communicate what you want to ask? Uttering the word quiero – which directly translates to “I want”, is a good place to start as any.
Example: Quiero ir a un restaurante.
Translation: I want to go to the restaurant.
May
4
2009
Spanish Phrase: De nada.
Pronunciation: de’ na’-dah’
Translation: You are welcome.
If someone says “Gracias” or thank you to you, the appropriate response would be to say “You are welcome.” In Spanish, this translates to “De nada.”
Familiarizing yourself with courtesy phrases and proper words like Gracias (Thank you), De nada (You’re welcome), ¡Hola! (Hello), ¡Adios! (Goodbye) and other similar phrases is the best way to soak in the culture of Spanish people – so practice speaking in what is soon-to-be-your-native-tongue now!
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