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Spanish Noun: Magnate, milmillonario

Pronunciation: Mahg-nahn-tay, meel-mee-yoh-nah-reeoh

Translation: Magnate, billionaire

Function: Nouns

There are gradations is Spanish too for the very rich, so magnate doesn’t change: ‘magnate’, a billionaire is a ‘milmillonario’ (still to be widely accepted), a multi-millionaire is a ‘multimillonario’ and a millionaire a ‘millonario’

‘Milenario’ has nothing to do with money, but with time: it means “millennial”.

Example:

Ahora es un millonaria… antes de 2007 era multimillonaria

Translation:

She is now a millionaire… before 2007 she was a multimillionaire

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Spanish Word: dio, o

Pronunciation: deeoh

Translation: gave

Function: Monosyllable

Only one exception is allowed for the conjunction ‘o’, bearing the ‘acento’, as in: ‘5 ó 6 pares de zapatos’ [5 or 6 shoe pairs], but only when it is in between numbers, to avoid confusion with digit ‘0’.

Many written ‘monosílabos’ [monosyllables] no longer require an ‘acento’ [stress mark] because they were found as having a single unequivocal meaning. There are many of them. Some of the most important ones are: ‘fe’ [faith], ‘fue’ [was] and ‘vio’ [saw]

Example:

Yo no fui

Translation:

It wasn´t me

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Spanish Word: -ez

Pronunciation: Ehs

Translation: Mac-

Function: suffix

This is a very common ending in ‘patronímicos’ [patronymics] present in last names, it means “son of”, just as “mac” does. One example explains by itself: in Spain you can find the last name ‘Martínez’, meaning ‘hijo de Martín’ [son of Martin], while in Ireland you have “MacMartin”, meaning “son of Martin” too.

There are many examples and here are the most common ones: ‘Sánchez’ - son of ‘Sancho’, ‘Pérez’ - son of ‘Pedro’; Álvarez’ - son of ‘Alvaro’; González’ - son of ‘Gonzalo’; Fernández’ - son of ‘Fernando’.

Example:

Jiménez

Translation:

Jiménez

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Spanish Word: -ction

Pronunciation: see-ohn

Translation: -ction

Function: suffix

This ending clearly shows that English and Spanish share a common root: the Indo-European. When you start studying one of them as a foreign language, you are told “you already know dozens of words” by changing a mere letter, as in ‘acción’ [action]Spanish Word: -ción

And that’s what this suffix main significance is: action, movement; as in ‘conducción’ [conduction] and ‘introducción’ [introduction]. It can also denote a state, as in ‘desesperación’ [desperation] and ‘aflicción’ [affliction]

Example:

Reacción

Translation:

Reaction

Tags: -ción, Spanish vocabulary, Spanish Word
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Spanish Word: a.m., p.m.

Pronunciation: ah aymay, pay aymay

Translation: a.m., p.m.

Function: Abbreviation

In Spain, they say ‘buenas noches’ [good night] from dusk till dawn. In America it all depends on the clock, and changes to ‘buenos días’ at 12:01 a.m.

These abbreviations stand for “antemeridiano” [ante meridiem] y “postmeridiano” [post meridiem]. A change from the first to the second occurs at noon. In most Latin-American countries this change also indicates you should no longer greet with ‘buenos días’ [good morning] but with ‘buenas tardes´[good afternoon] instead.

Example:

Llegaremos a las 12 p.m.

Translation:

We will get there at noon

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Spanish Word: Si

Pronunciation: See

Translation: If

Function: Conditional

Even if you think ‘acentos’ [diacritical stress marks] can be spared, you should keep an eye on using at least the most frequent ones, as Spanish speakers are used to exploit this “visual resource” to make reading faster. This is especially true when ‘homónimos’ [homonimous] are present.

‘Homónimos’ are words that sound the same, but have different meanings. The example below has two pairs: ’si’-’sí’ [if-yes] and ‘tú’-'tu’ [you-your]

Example:

Si tú le dices “sí” a tu padre

Translation:

If you tell “yes” to your father

Tags: Si, spanish conditional, Spanish Grammar, Spanish Word
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Spanish Word: Presente histórico

Pronunciation: Preay-sayn-tay ees-toh-ree-coh

Translation: Historical present

Function: Usage

To help you do story-telling when your Spanish past tenses are not that polished, you can do it the American way: by using the ‘presente histórico’ [historical present, which means you talk about something from the past using the present tense, something typically done by historians.

You can see in the following example how a happening of the past is told using the present tense, as if things were happening that very moment. You can use this rhetorical resource when your past-tense skills are yet to be fully learned.

Example:

Y ahí estoy, todo mojado, cuando de repente pasa todo un equipo de futbol y me ayuda a empujar el coche.

Translation:

And there I am, all wet, when all of a sudden, a whole soccer team passes by and helps me push the car.

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Spanish Word:Ha escrito

Pronunciation:Ah ays-cree-toh

Translation:Has written

Function: usage

Spain prefers it, even it takes more words to say or write: The so called “perfect tense”, where the verb ‘haber’ [have] functions as an auxiliary for another verb (in the gerund form) appearing right next to it, as in ‘hemos hablado’ [we have spoken]. Hispanic Americans would say a single word: ‘hablamos’ [we spoke] instead.

This form takes “less memory” from those learning Spanish, because all they need to memorize is the ‘haber’ verb conjugation and the other verbs gerunds, i.e. ‘Llegó y tomó el coche’ takes more words below, but you don’t have to know the indicative third-person past tense of the verbs ‘Llegar’ and ‘Tomar’

Example:

Ha llegado y tomado el coche

Translation:

Has come and taken the car

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Spanish Word: Se

Pronunciation: Say

Translation: [n/a]

Function: Form

‘Se’ makes easier to construct some Spanish sentences, when the subject is unclear: just begin the sentence with ‘Se’ and use a verb… without a subject, as in ‘Se quemó’ [it burned], while standing before something unknown.

People pretty much use it when they’ve broken something: ’se cayó’ [it fell], instead of [lo tiré] [I let it fell]. Such impersonal form is much more used in Spanish than in English.

Example:

El niño se cayó y se pegó en su cabeza

Translation:

The boy fell and hit his head

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Spanish Word: EE.UU.

Pronunciation: Ay-Oo

Translation: U.S.A.

Function: Usage

You can see the abbreviation ‘EE.UU’ (’Estados Unidos’) every day in Spanish speaking countries newspapers. The letters repetition indicates a plural is being shortened.

The need for this repetition arises from the fact that the word could is also abbreviated in the singular form, so ‘p.’ is the abbreviation of ‘página’ [page]

Example:

pp. 2-4

Translation:

pages 2 through 4

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Spanish Word: Pingüino

Pronunciation: Peen-gooee-noh

Translation: Penguin

Function: Usage

The two small dots appearing sometimes on top of an u (ü) before the e & i vowels are called ‘diéresis’ [dieresis]. It is more noticeable if you wrongly put them on top of any other vowel, than forgetting to use them when they are supposed to be there.

The usage rule is simple: ‘diéresis’ should be used when the u is to be pronounced; this is necessary because in most of the words with the syllables ‘gue’ and ‘gui’ the u is not spoken because of grammar. When in doubt, you can say the word aloud without the u and check how it sounds.

Example:

vergüenza

Translation:

shame

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Spanish Word: Estará

Pronunciation: Ayhs-tah-rah

Translation: Is going to be

Function: Usage

English expression ‘is going to…’ has been wrongly incorporated into spoken Spanish in some American countries, as in ‘vamos a estar…’ [we are going to be…', where a much shorter 'estaremos...' [we'll be...] would have been enough.

You can both save words and talk a better Spanish if you avoid this practice. Use the future tense if you are comfortable using it. If you are not, then use the common construction: ‘Voy a’ + infinitive verb (in this case you don’t need to know all verb variations for the future tense)

Example:

Oscar estará ahí

Translation:

Oscar is going to be there

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Spanish Word: Reforma ortográfica

Pronunciation: Rayh-fohr-mah ohr-toh-grah-fee-cah

Translation: Orthographic reform

Function: Usage

These reforms mainly call for some single syllable words -and some with more than three- NOT to have a stress mark, when certain vowels meet, as in ‘guión’ [slash] The advice: don’t worry about changing your orthography… at least for  been very different: People have even gone to court)

In the last 10 years, the Spanish regulation Academy ‘RAE’ has published three reforms for Spanish orthography, but they all have been ignored in the other Spanish speaking countries (it also happened in other languages, but reaction has the next 10 years.

Example:

Él rió

Translation:

He laughed

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Spanish Word: Don, Doña

Pronunciation: Dohn, Donya

Translation: Don, Madam

Function: Title

You will find these courtesy titles almost paired to “Sir” and “Lady”, although you can still find ‘Señor Don” and ‘Señora Doña’ used in Spain… which falls short of the “king” or “queen” themselves. You will see it used in most written invitations.

You will also find a college degree used instead of ‘Señor’ [Mr.] or ‘Señora’ [Lady] as in ‘doctor’ [doctor] or ‘ingeniero´[engineer]. If you don’t know whether somebody has a degree or not, stay on the safe side and use ‘Don’ freely, as it works for both: informal or important occasions.

Example:

Sra. Doña Fe Roa Paz

Translation:

Madam Fe Roa Paz

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Spanish Word: Buen día Pronunciation:

Booayn deeah Translation:

Good day Function:

Salutation

If you can´t remember the right time of day to use ‘buenos días’, ‘buenas tardes’ or ‘buenas noches’ [good morning, good afternoon, good evening] you can always use the orthographically correct ‘Buen día’ [Good day] at any time of the day (it can be used on writing too, as an introduction for all kinds of e-mail, formal or not)

If you don´t want to sound that formal, you can say the colloquial that locals use: ‘buenas’. They say it at any time of day, but mostly to their acquaintances

Example: Buen día tengan todos ustedes

Translation:

Good day you all

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Spanish Word: Endocrino…

Pronunciation: Ayn-doh-kree-noh

Translation: Endocrinologist

Function: short for

Don’t be confused when you hear Spanish speakers’ medical talk full of truncated words when referring to specialties, as in ‘endocrino’: short for ‘endocrinólogo’ [endocrinologist]. These apocopes are often used simply to save time or just because the speaker doesn´t really know the final part.

In most of the instances the missing part is ‘-logo’ [-logist], as in ‘cardio’ [for cardiologist], ‘procto’ [for proctologist]. Sometimes the missing part is huge, as in ‘otorrino’, for otorhinolaryngologist!

Example:

Endocrino

Translation:

Endocrinologist

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Spanish Word: Cerveza

English Word: Beer, ale, malt liquor

Pronunciation: ther-vay-thah’

Function: noun

Your visit to any Spanish country will never be complete unless you have sampled what the local brew has to offer. Beer lovers would have a blast sampling drinks like cerveza de barril or draught beer; cerveza de botella or bottled beer; cerveza negra or brown beer; cerveza clara or light beer; and cerveza de sifón or draught beer.If someone asks you “¿De barril o botella?”, you have to say whether it’s a draught or bottled beer that you want.

Example: En esa tienda venden mi cerveza preferida.

Translation: In that shop, they sell my favorite beer.

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Spanish Word: Libre

English Word: Free

Pronunciation: lee’-bray

Function: adjective

The word libre in Spanish has quite a number of meanings. It can mean that something like a taxi is empty or unoccupied. It can also refer to someone who is not married. The term trabajar por libre refers to someone who is a freelancer.

Here, we will use the term libre in reference to something that is not occupied, such as in the following sentence:

Example: Esa plaza no está libre.

Translation: That seat is not free.

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Spanish Word: Fresco

English Word: Cool, fresh

Pronunciation: fres-koh’

Function: adjective

Depending on how it is used in a sentence, the word fresco itself has a few equivalents in the Spanish language.

For example, the term fresco can refer to a man who has a fresh attitude. When you say la fresca, it means that there is a cool breeze, but it can also refer to a blunt remark.Finally, when you say al fresco, that is the equivalent of saying that it is cool outside.

Example: Era un día lluvioso y fresco.

Translation: It was a cool and rainy day.

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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.

Tags: Spanish vocabulary, Spanish Word, spanish word queso
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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…

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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.

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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…

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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!

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Instead of having just one Spanish word for the day, let’s amp things up a bit and make it seven.

If you’re vacationing in some exotic beach in Central America, you might be tempted to laze away the time – but you don’t want to miss your return flight – so you need to learn about the Spanish terms for the days of the week!

Here’s the list:

Monday – Lunes
Tuesday – Martes
Wednesday – Miercoles
Thursday – Jueves
Friday – Viernes
Saturday – Sabado
Sunday – Domingo

However, if you want to ask a local what the day is today, the correct sentence would be “¿Cuál es hoy?”. Then, you will get the above responses which correspond to the days of the week.

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