#Spanish Language

[er-cryptid]

Furniture and Accessories (Spanish)

los muebles = furniture

los accesorios = accessories

el basurero = trash can

la cama = bed

la cómoda = dresser

el cuadro = painting

el estante = bookcase

la lámpara = lamp

la mesa de noche = nightstand

el sillón = armchair

el sofá = sofa, couch

[hometoursandotherstuff]

[wannawrite999]

[itgetsbetter]

FREE downloadable guide to nonbinary language in Spanish - spread the word! 💛🤍💜🖤

How do we take a traditionally gendered language like Spanish and adapt it to be more gender inclusive?

Language is a powerful tool - this new EduGuide is amplifying non-binary voices, dismantling stigmas, and teaching us how to take a traditionally gendered language and adapt it to be more inclusive.

Our pals at It Gets Better Mexico collaborated with Homosensual to address this crucial issue within the language — download their guide for FREE and share it around to friends, family, your school, and your community: itgetsbetter.org/blog/spanish-eduguide-for-the-inclusion-of-nonbinary-people

Education like this helps create a space where every identity is seen and celebrated!

---------

El lenguaje es una herramienta poderosa - esta nueva EduGuide amplifica las voces no binaries, desmantela los estigmas y nos enseña cómo tomar un lenguaje tradicionalmente basado en género y adaptarlo para que sea más inclusivo.

Nuestres amigis de It Gets Better México colaboraron con Homosensual para abordar este tema crucial dentro del idioma — descarga tú guía GRATIS y compártala con amigues, familiares, tú escuela y tú comunidad para participar en estas importantes conversations: itgetsbetter.org/blog/spanish-eduguide-for-the-inclusion-of-nonbinary-people

¡Una educación como esta ayuda a crear un espacio donde se ve y se celebra cada identidad!

[moomin279]

*gripping bathroom sink* every foreign accent is a sign of bravery, every foreign accent is a sign of bravery-

[vivicantstudy]

these methods are what are helping me the most to learn spanish:

1. Label Your Household Items: Place labels with Spanish names on objects around your home. This constant exposure helps reinforce vocabulary in a practical context.

2. Create a “Spanish Only” Zone: Designate a specific area or time each day where you only use Spanish. This could be a room or a period during which you read, watch TV, or speak only in Spanish.

3. Use a Spaced Repetition System (SRS) for Vocabulary: Instead of traditional flashcards, use an SRS app to review words and phrases at increasing intervals. This method helps improve long-term retention of vocabulary.

4. Write a Diary in Spanish: Keep a daily journal in Spanish. This practice helps you think in the language and improve writing skills while reflecting on your day.

5. Sing Along with Spanish Music: Choose songs in Spanish and sing along, paying attention to the lyrics. This helps with pronunciation, rhythm, and understanding colloquial expressions.

6. Learn Through Role-Playing: Act out scenarios in Spanish, such as ordering food in a restaurant or asking for directions. This method helps you practice practical language use in a fun and interactive way.

Important: Methods can change depending on what works for you, so try everything you can. Methods can also turn out to be less effective as you gain more knowledge.

obs: Spanish is my priority right now because I’m no longer learning it as a hobby but as a necessity. You are free to correct me.

[spanishskulduggery]

Es divertido a mí que algunas palabras de español se ven como palabras de inglés pero se referen a alguno muy diferente, por ejemplo ‘embarazada’ y ‘embarrassed’ - un par comunísimo, yo sé. ¿Qué son unas palabras tramposos (para hablantes de inglés) que sabes?

Some very common false cognates or partial false cognates:

sensible = sensitive [the word sensible is related to sentir "to feel", so sensible is someone who feels a lot aka "sensitive"; in English "sensible" as in "having sense" is sensato/a]

la sopa = soup [for us we see la sopa and we would be inclined to think "soap" but that is el jabón]

actual = "current", "updated" [normally "actual" for English speakers is real or concreto/a, but in Spanish actualmente is "currently" or "happening now"... when we usually would want "actually" which is de verdad]

la complexión = physique [this refers to your physical build in Spanish; the word we associate it with is la tez which is "the complexion of someone's skin" or sometimes they talk about el tipo de (la) piel "skin" or "skin type"]

la carpeta = folder [a "carpet" is la alfombra]

la ropa = clothes [a "rope" is usually la soga "rope"]

pariente = relative [this is one of your relatives in a family; but los padres is "parents"]

realizar = to finalize, to carry out [lit. "to make a reality"; the "realize"; what we usually want to use is darse cuenta "to have a realization"]

agonizar = to be dying, to be in the process of imminently dying, "to be in your death throes" [instead of "agonizing" like over a decision which I normally see as dar vueltas "to go back and forth" or atormentarse "to be tormented"]

largo/a = long [we think "large" which is grande or enorme for "big" - largo/a means "long"]

asistir = to attend [sometimes "to assist", but also is the verb you'd use like "to attend/go to school" is asistir a la escuela]

la asignatura = assignment [we see this and would assume "signature", but that's la firma - asignar is "to assign" or "to give an assignment"]

la firma = signature [we would see this and think "firm" like a "law firm" - that is typically el bufete]

gracioso/a = funny [while la gracia can be "grace" it can also mean "something funny" or "humor"... thus gracioso/a can sometimes be "gracious" or "graceful" but it almost always means "funny" - the word "gracious" is usually cortés which is "polite" but the more common word is educado/a "educated/having manners"... or it could simply be amable "kind/loving"; and "graceful" is usually elegante "elegant", or sutil or grácil which is "graceful" and "subtle/gentle"]

envolver = to envelope, to wrap, to be encompassed [usually we're looking for "to involve" which is involucrar or tener que ver con (algo) "to have to do with"]

la copa = glass of wine, "a drink" / wine glass [la copa is more related to the word "goblet", and it can refer to "cup" for sports but in Spanish drinkware is usually divided into three terms: el vaso is a "glass of water" or a "vase", la taza is usually "cup of tea" or "cup of coffee", and la copa implies alcohol often "a glass of wine" or "a cocktail", and ir de copas is "to go out drinking"]

el disgusto = annoyance [usually el disgusto is a sign of displeasure, annoyance, or contempt - we see "disgust" which is usually el asco which implies revulsion or possibly nausea where dar asco is "to be gross, to be disgusting"]

soportar = to tolerate, to put up with, to bear [soportar is sometimes confused with "to support", which is often apoyar as in "to help someone" or in some cases "to support" as in "to keep up" is mantener..... soportar means "to tolerate", and insoportable is "unbearable"]

alterar = to upset [alterar can be "to alter", though it's often cambiar; usually alterar or alterado/a refers to "upset" or "unhappy", where if someone is alterado/a it means they're angry or bothered by something]

molestar = to annoy [this one is really hard for English-speakers who are new - molestar does not carry any sexual connotation in Spanish, it's simply "to annoy" or "to bother"; the word for "to molest" which does have sexual connotations is usually abusar "to abuse" or acosar which is "to stalk" or "to bully" and it's often narrowed down with the proper adjective - el acoso sexual is "sexual harassment" literally, implying that it's a kind of bullying or degradation that is sexual in nature]

introducir = to insert [this does mean "introduce" in the sense of "to put into something else".... but the word for "to introduce oneself" is presentarse]

el compromiso = commitment [el compromiso or comprometer refers to a kind of "commitment" one has made; and comprometer is another word for "engaged (to be married)" - in general it isn't "compromise" in the sense of an agreement, which is usually el acuerdo]

la lectura = reading [la lectura is related to leer "to read"; a "lecture" in school might be la conferencia or simply la lección "lesson" or la clase; but if someone is giving you a "lecture", that's usually el sermón like a sermon and sermonear is "to give a lecture" or "to give a sermon"; either in the religious sense, or the lecturing sense where people can sarcastically say you're giving a sermon like a priest]

sano/a = healthy [sano/a usually means "healthy" of body; the word for "sane" like "not crazy" is cuerdo/a]

la sanidad = health service, good health, safety [same as above, la sanidad can be another term for la salud though it usually refers to health services like "sanitation" or the state of being in good health; la Sanidad is also the general term for "the Department of Health" or "the Ministry of Health"... it's kind of like the upkeep required to be healthy/safe]

el suceso = event, occurrence [this is related to suceder "to happen/occur"]

el éxito = success [this is ACTUALLY "success", unlike suceder...... unfortunately people see el éxito and think "exit" which is la salida from salir]

bombero/a = firefighter [this one makes more sense if you know the root etymology - la bomba does mean "bomb", but also means "pump", and so los bomberos are "firefighters" or "people who work the (water) pump"; the word for "bomber" is bombardero/a which is closer to "bombardier" in French]

la red = net, network [this is a literal "net" but la red has come to be used with the internet and any kind of "network" - las redes sociales for example is "social media", or literally "social networks"; thankfully you probably already know that rojo/a is "red" the color]

colorado/a = red, ruddy [the word for "colored/colorful" is usually colorido/a with an I, or con/en colores... but colorado/a is another term for red, as colorete is another word for "blush" as in the makeup; colorado/a makes sense in the sense of "having color in one's face". Americans will find this easier to understand by the state Colorado and the Colorado River... which was named that way because it's red; colorado/a is quite often used to describe facial color, which is where you get "ruddy" as in "reddish complexion"]

bizarro/a = brave, gallant [this is a bit of an odd etymology because some will claim it's Basque some will claim it's Italian; the original word bizarro/a is related to anger and specifically soldiers so it's like people that will charge into battle - the French term bizarre is where English takes it for "strange/weird"; in Spanish that's extraño/a or raro/a - though note that some places DO use bizarro/a as "strange"; another possible interpretation is that it's someone who's "outlandish" like big personality, brave, kind of more on the reckless side, so it can come out as "gallant" or "grandiose" in some contexts]

culto/a = educated, learned, someone who is well-read or well-educated [culto/a here means "having formalized education" or someone with lots of intelligence... the word el culto "cult" does exist but it's not always the one you want since it can refer to a devotional order (not specifically dangerous or scary) - the word "cult" in Spanish is usually la secta and "cultists" are sectario/a]

demandar = to sue, to bring a lawsuit against someone [la demanda also is "a lawsuit", not a demand; usually the verb for "to demand" is exigir - there are times when la demanda can be a demand but in the sense of "the situation demands" or "these are my demands"... la exigencia is more common as the "strongly worded forceful need" kind of feeling]

la ganga = bargain, deal [In English we would probably think it meant "gang" like a criminal gang which is usually la banda or la pandilla - they do use el gángster in Spanish though; other words you might see is el hampa "criminal organization", or los bajos fondos which means "the criminal underground" but is literally "the deep depths"]

la librería = bookstore [this one is hard because some people do use it as "library", but the general word for library is la biblioteca. The suffix -ría usually implies a place where something is sold like "pizzeria" in English; in Spanish you would probably see la panadería "bakery" or "where bread is sold", la pastelería "bakery (for cake)" where "pastry is sold", or something like la herrería which is now like "hardware store" a place where "iron/smithing tools are sold" - this one is understandable though, biblioteca is Greek "place where books are kept", but librería comes from Latin "place where books are sold"]

There are also a few very partial cognates, or words that kind of mean different things than what you'd expect in some cases.

Like abandonar is "to abandon", but it can be "to leave a place" so it isn't always "leaving someone behind", it can be just "leaving"

There's also real which has two meanings; "real" [de verdad is another term], but also means "royal" - like el pavo real is "peacock" but "royal turkey" literally; and if you ever see la Real Academia you'll know it's Royal Academy, not Real Academy

el tinto does mean "tint", but it has two separate meanings; first el vino tinto is the term for "red wine", so in some cases you'll see it means "red" or "dark liquid" - the term is usually more "burgundy" so think very deep red... and the second meaning is that for some countries, el tinto refers to "black coffee".... Somewhat related, but la tinta is "ink"

For Christians, you'll see la cura is "cure", but masculine - el cura is "priest"; a general term for priest is also el sacerdote (or la sacerdotisa "priestess" if female) but that's not confused with anything; also la curita is "bandage" like "bandaid"... UK would call this a "plaster"

Another is asesino/a which is "murderer" - not specifically "assassin" which is sometimes described as asesino/a profesional; you can use asesino/a for both, and the verb asesinar is "to murder" or "to assassinate" but English has a kind of distinction between "murder" and "assassinate"

A good one to know is la quimera which you'd know as "chimera" like a fused monster from Greek mythology, or just science/biology or sci-fi things... it can also be "an unrealistic fantasy" or "a pipe dream", like a dream/goal that is unattainable or unrealistic, "pie in the sky" sort of things

A really common one is raro/a which can be "rare", but also means "strange" - both connected to the idea of "uncommon" but English has more of a disconnect between the words

ignorar is another one; it most often means "to ignore", but it can also be "to not know" or "to be ignorant of" - not always a conscious decision, but a state of not knowing something

preciso/a is one that throws me off a lot - it can be "precise", but it's usually more "necessary" or "critical"; as precisar is a synonym of necesitar

guardar can sometimes be "to guard", but it is often "to keep" or "to hold onto"; usually "to guard" is defender or proteger as "defend" and "protect"

Then there's la arena which can be "arena" like a "stadium", but also means "sand"

-

Another one that will trip you up all the time especially if you read a lot of regency things or fantasy or romantasy... is pretender. First, pretender is a verb, and it's not "pretend" the way you're thinking... pretender is "to claim" or "to attempt"; it refers to "to make a claim for something" [literally "before" + "have/grasp"]

pretender is used like "to claim the throne", so a "pretender to the throne" is not specifically a "liar", it means someone who wants to take the throne - that verb pretender goes to the noun pretendiente "claimant" or "someone making a claim"

The OTHER important way it's used is that it is "to woo"; just as you can "claim a throne", you can try to "claim someone's hand" and that's what that means

If you read the Odyssey for example, Odysseus kills the many "suitors" who have camped out in his home while he was away, trying to marry his wife Penelope. The word "suitor" in Spanish is pretendiente... so if you look in art you might see something like Odiseo matando a los pretendientes "Odysseus killing the suitors" or La matanza de los pretendientes "the killing of the suitors"

The verb for "to pretend" in English is fingir [like "feign"] or mentir "to lie"; and the words for "pretender" in that case are mentiroso/a "liar", or it's farsante which is related to "farce", so someone who carries out a farce or is a general liar

...

The most important one I can think of is emocionante which is "exciting", and excitante which is "arousing"

First, la emoción has two meanings - "emotion" as in feelings, and then "excitement" like happy anticipation; and so emotivo/a or sensible mean "emotional" as in having lots of feelings... then emocionante means "exciting" as in causing happy anticipation

Second, excitar is "to arouse", usually in the sexual way, so excitante is often more sexual - it isn't always this way but this is a common one people tell you to avoid because it comes out as "horny" in some cases

[saywhat-politics]

Conservative Spanish-language media personalities are claiming that Trump will not deport working immigrants or those without a criminal background. In truth, Trump has vowed to stage the “largest deportation operation in American History,” and “no one is off the table.”

[spider-artdump]

[ros3ybabeslanguages]

Language Resources 🎀

*that I currently use for studying Spanish. When I pick up studying Japanese again, I will make a list for that as well <3 I currently use a handful of resources for learning Spanish, and they've all proven very useful so far!

🩷 My Current Resources for Spanish

Busuu - hands down my favorite language learning app. So much better than Duolingo, in my opinion (especially for languages with a different alphabet/writing system). I bought the premium for a year, which will expire in Septmeber, but I'm debating renewing again because I love it so much.

LingQ - I like using this for reading in Spanish. It gives me different types of things to read about, and while I don't have premium, I do put all the words I don't know into flashcards on AnkiApp on my laptop and translate anything I don't know using SpanishDict.

SpanishDict - favorite translation/dictionary app. I know it has lessons you can use, tho I haven't tried it yet, but I really do love this app. It's super helpful when I'm making flashcards or writing random vocabulary notes.

Goodnotes - This is a general note-taking app, but I love it because it allows you to import and write on PDFs, and that's just perfect for me! I've downloaded free PDF short stories/children's stories in Spanish and made notes of words I don't know, and taken notes in the app too. Definitely my favorite notes app, ever.

Italki - I know this is a website, too, but I use the app. It lets you work with professional teachers/community tutors in your target language. You can have structured lessons or just use it for conversation practice. I did a trial lesson not too long ago and have an upcoming lesson booked out in about 5 days. You pay per lesson, so there is no subscription, and there are so many languages and teachers/tutors to choose from. I did a lot of research before choosing a teacher, and I'm very happy with my decision so far. Definitely useful if there's not native speakers near you or you're like me and not confident talking to people you know in your target language/their native language.

Quizlet/AnkiApp - I use AnkiApp more then quizlet, and the Anki I'm referring to is NOT the same way everyone else uses, but it's the flashcard app of preference at the moment. I tried the AnkiDroid app and hated it. But yeah, AnkiApp is useful for flashcards and I really like it. I have it on my Chromebook and my Ipad.

Netflix - I love watching shows in Spanish on Netflix so much. I am currently watching La Reina del Sur on it (used to watch that sporadically in the past at a friend's house) and plan on watching some other shows, including Elite.

Spotify - I enjoy listening to Spanish music and podcasts right now. The music is more of an entertaining/enjoyable fork of audio input, and the podcasts help me get a feel for speaking and pronunciation and I choose podcasts that speak on topics of interest tk help with vocabulary in those areas I'd like to be able to speak about.

Textbooks - I have 2 PDF textbooks, Gramatica de Uso del Español: A1-B2 and Gramatica de Uso del Español: B1-B2. I've heard these are great for learning Spanish (and they're both only written in Spanish, like there's no English in them) and plan on using them once I figure out how to take good and useful textbook notes! I definitely need to improve on my grammar.

Those are all my current Spanish resources! I'd definitely say my current level is like a high A1 right now, nearing A2, but I have just a little bit of work to do before I get there. These resources are definitely gonna help, tho!

[mapsontheweb]

Population with only Spanish as first language by Spanish province, 2021 census survey

by FrankCesco/reddit

[er-cryptid]

Astronomy (Spanish)

estrella = star

sol = sun

luna = moon

constelación = constellation

galaxia = galaxy

satélite = satellite

astrónomo = astronomer

telescopio = telescope

cometa = comet

cinturón de asteroides = asteroid belt

planeta = planet

espacio = space

globo celeste = celestial globe

Vía Láctea = Milky Way

planetario = planetarium

nebuloso = nebula

asteroide = asteroid

nova = nova

año luz = light year

supernova = supernova

agujero negro = black hole

.

Patreon

[geekgirles]

As a Spanish-speaker, I am morally obligated to explain this genius visual gag to non-Spanish speakers.

In Spanish, to cheat on your partner and, likewise, to be a cuckold is translated into "poner los cuernos" (literally, "to put the horns (on someone)) and "cornudo/cornuda" ("horned man/woman").

Now, as you can see, save for Lucifer, all his pals/followers are the gods from previous DLH videos (a reference to paganism, most likely), and after being exhiled to Hell, they all sport horns.

Now, who has the biggest horns out of all the characters we see here? That's right:

HERA

The biggest cornuda in the entirety of the Greek/Roman pantheon!

In fact, who has the biggest horns after her, and further supports this theory?

Hephaestus. Whose previous appearances in DLH were precisely to mention how his wife Aphrodite was cheating on him with Ares.

Simply ✨Brilliant✨

[anonpolls]

If you are currently residing in the United States (regardless of your nationality):

Criteria:

A1

The person:

Understands and uses familiar every day expressions.

Uses very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of concrete needs.

Can introduce themselves and others.

Can ask and answer questions about personal details (where they live, people they know and things they have).

Can interact in a simple way if the other person talks slowly & helps.

A2

The person:

Understands sentences and frequently used expressions related to basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, and employment.

Communicates in simple and routine tasks.

Can describe in simple terms aspects of their background, immediate environment and matters in area of immediate need.

B1

The person:

Understands the main points of clear standard input.

Familiar w/ matters regularly encountered in work/school/leisure.

Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst traveling.

Can produce simple connected text on topics, which are familiar.

Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes & ambitions.

Gives brief reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.

B2

The person:

Understands the main ideas of complex texts.

Understands abstract topics, including technical discussions in his field of specialization.

Interacts with native speakers without strain for either party.

Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects.

Can explain a viewpoint giving the advantages and disadvantages.

C1

The person:

Understands a wide range of demanding, longer texts.

Recognizes implicit meanings.

Can express themselves spontaneously without searching for expressions.

Uses language effectively for social, academic, and professional purposes.

Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects.

C2

The person:

Understands with ease virtually everything heard or read.

Can summarize information from different spoken and written sources.

Can reconstruct arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation.

Can differentiate finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.

-submit your poll!-

[lionofchaeronea]

And I, the least of beings, drunk on the vast void littered with stars – semblance, image of mystery -- I felt myself a pure part of the abyss, I spun with the stars, my heart loosed its strings in the wind.

Y yo, mínimo ser, ebrio del gran vacío constelado, a semajanza, a imagen del misterio, me sentí parte pura del abismo, rodé con las estrellas, mi corazón se desató en el viento.

--Pablo Neruda (1904-1973)