Spanish language Q&A Forum

When would be appropriate to use formal and informal second person?

For context, I'm planning to speak mostly with my Mexican family members, many that I'll be meeting for the first time or for the first time in many years. Most of them are older than me (I have one younger brother who speaks mostly Spanish). Would it be better to speak formally to the older family members, or informally because they're family?

Would you start formally with strangers (esp. those who are older) and then at some point be able to drop formality as you become closer to people, or as they express to you that it's okay (similar to Korean and Japanese)?

How in the hell is that "llegaremos"? Even with about 50 repeats I did not get that. Is she actually saying something else or how does that work? Always sounds like "digaremos" to me :-(

Hi,

In many lessons and responses to questions, I have read that when deciding if you are to use imperfecto or indefinido, it is up to how the speaker thinks about the event. If the speaker thinks the event had a clear start and end, you should use indefinido, and if not you use imperfecto. Does this mean that it is entirely up to the speaker to decide which past tense is correct? I understand that there are situations where it is clear which is right and wrong, but I feel like in many cases it is a bit more ambiguous. 

La narradora dice “las pilas” pero el texto dice “la pilas”, y el programa te corrige si escribes “las pilas” en tu transcripción. Me gusta esta expresión que no conocía antes. Creo que ya la entiendo, pero tal vez merezca una pequeña nota. ¡Gracias!

When translating an account the past in Spanish would the english translation be in the present or past tense? Like “apagan los fuegos” is they extinguish the fires but in english we would say they extinguished the fires, right?

Hola, 

Are there particular differences in using estar por vs pensar in expressing intention to do something?

'Estoy por comer helado.'

'Pienso comer helado.'

Gracias

I am a bit upset at the fact that a hint given on a test made me change the correct answer to an incorrect.  I just finished a quiz and the question was "Sus padres ________ bastante delgados. Their parents are quite slim.