Sentence length - English vs SpanishNice topic, especially in these times when we are locked up inside. And thanks, I'm learning more about the subjunctive everyday!
But now then, this is a long sentence...!
Antes de haber tenido la moto, nunca me hubiese atrevido a viajar solo y ahora lo que más me gusta es coger la moto, mi mochila y viajar sin rumbo por las montañas, pararme y quedarme pasmado mirando el paisaje, y dormir al raso viendo las estrellas.
... which would likely be broken into two (or even three) sentences in English. This is not a criticism. I've found sentences of this length are not at all unusual in Spanish.
I'm a writer (in English) and having read quite a lot of Spanish in newspapers and in novels, I'm often surprised how long Spanish sentences can be compared to their English counterparts. Funnily enough, when Spanish people correct my Spanish writing they often join up my sentences by replacing the full stops with commas! I also find the Spanish very reluctant to start sentences with 'Pero', preferring instead to have it introduce a phrase, usually only after a comma. By contrast, in English, shorter sentences and 'But' and 'And' with a capital are becoming ever more common in contemporary writing (even though we used to be taught in school never to do it).
It's interesting the small things we start to notice as we study more and get more familiar with our target language.
Saludos a todos
The test asked to translate "I like white wine" to Spanish, but indicated "Me gusta el vino blanco" was the correct answer. The English sentence seemed unspecific to me, as though the speaker was making a general statement about a category of wine they liked. To add an article seems to imply the speaker likes a specific kind of wine ("I like the white wine"). Is this the same implication in Spanish? Could one say "me gusta vino blanco"? Or is an article always required, and unspecific preferences would require "un/una"?
Thank you.
If estar is to be used with a location, why use ser to discuss where one is from?
Hi...
My name is Zotya and I wonder how I can expect it to be pronounced by Spanish people when I arrive there in October.
I am specifically interested because if the first letter "Z".
Thank you all.
In a quiz, I wrote "Estamos adentro de la sala." and it got marked wrong. It said that the only correct answer was "Estamos dentro de la sala." In the notes on this topic, it says that "adentro" and be used for "inside a place" but not for "inside a thing". It seems like "la sala" is a place. Why is it wrong to use "adentro" in this case?
First of all, how to decide when to use despertar and when despertarse?
Second question, why can't we use levantarse in place of despertarse?
Nice topic, especially in these times when we are locked up inside. And thanks, I'm learning more about the subjunctive everyday!
But now then, this is a long sentence...!
Antes de haber tenido la moto, nunca me hubiese atrevido a viajar solo y ahora lo que más me gusta es coger la moto, mi mochila y viajar sin rumbo por las montañas, pararme y quedarme pasmado mirando el paisaje, y dormir al raso viendo las estrellas.
... which would likely be broken into two (or even three) sentences in English. This is not a criticism. I've found sentences of this length are not at all unusual in Spanish.
I'm a writer (in English) and having read quite a lot of Spanish in newspapers and in novels, I'm often surprised how long Spanish sentences can be compared to their English counterparts. Funnily enough, when Spanish people correct my Spanish writing they often join up my sentences by replacing the full stops with commas! I also find the Spanish very reluctant to start sentences with 'Pero', preferring instead to have it introduce a phrase, usually only after a comma. By contrast, in English, shorter sentences and 'But' and 'And' with a capital are becoming ever more common in contemporary writing (even though we used to be taught in school never to do it).
It's interesting the small things we start to notice as we study more and get more familiar with our target language.
Saludos a todos
In an A1 writing exercise about ordering at a restaurant, I encountered the phrase "How can I help you?" with the hint "Lit. What do you wish?" I was not prepared with an answer so I learned a new phrase!
Are the phrases interchangeable?
Thank you,
Allysen
Find your Spanish level for FREE
Test your Spanish to the CEFR standard
Find your Spanish level