Translation: which is right or closest

bufalo says on Apr 4, 2005, 15:56:

First translating problem for you, it is "español", not "Espanyol"

Both sentences are about the same (but accent or tilde in "escribiré"), the one with usted emphasizes the person you are talkin to. The one without usted could mean a third person or the person you are talking to.

side note: in Spain they rarely use usted it´s almost always tú. Some parts of Colombia use usted more frequently than others.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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bufalo says on Apr 4, 2005, 15:56:

First translating problem for you, it is "español", not "Espanyol"

Both sentences are about the same (but accent or tilde in "escribiré"), the one with usted emphasizes the person you are talkin to. The one without usted could mean a third person or the person you are talking to.

side note: in Spain they rarely use usted it´s almost always tú. Some parts of Colombia use usted more frequently than others.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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Scalestick says on Apr 4, 2005, 16:11:

bufalo thanks for the reply and setting me straight on espanol, but does it sound like the way I spelled it? I am not set up for spanish on my keyboard but does the 'n' in espanol sound like 'ny' when you pronounce it to give it the 'nyol' sound? Maybe that is why I have been spelling it incorrectly.
Gracias

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jediknight says on Apr 4, 2005, 16:13:

use llegue Le escribiré cuando llegue en 2 dias o la proxima semana for example, in 2 days or next week

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Scalestick says on Apr 4, 2005, 16:21:

jediknight thanks to you also, I am beginning to see the light. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks but the more I can pick up in the next few months, the better, especially with some fundamental grammer. I have ordered "501 verbs" and I imagine that will be my bible.
gracias

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Dan says on Apr 4, 2005, 16:54:

I pretty much used that 501 verb book too along with a dictionary and talking to my (now) wife in order to learn Spanish. Good luck with your studies.

God Bless America!

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kernow62 says on Apr 4, 2005, 19:39:

Here is a way to type them on a USA English keyboard. Hold the Alt key down while typing the number, and presto. ñ which is the letter that corresponds to the "ny" sound in English.

á: ALT + 160
Ã?: ALT + 0193
é: ALT + 130
É: ALT + 144
í: ALT + 161
Ã?: ALT + 0205
ó: ALT + 162
Ó: ALT + 0211
ú: ALT + 163
Ú: ALT + 0218
ñ: ALT + 164
Ñ: ALT + 165
ü: ALT + 0252
Ü: ALT + 0220
¿: ALT + 168
¡: ALT + 173

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Mateo-FL says on Apr 4, 2005, 19:45:

Try these http://www.freetranslation.com/

http://translation1.paralink.com/

These are by no means exactly perfect, but they get the point across.

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critter says on Apr 4, 2005, 20:24:

Listen to Jediknight. He knows what he is talking about. The subjuntive mood (a specific conjugation used to show doubt or the possibility of something not transpiring)is needed after cuando. Te escribire cuando llegue reveals the possibility that you may never arrive. To construct the subjuntive mood, you need to start with the 1st person singular conjugation...llegar=llego. Then, drop the "o" and add the opposite vowel (for -ar verbs the opposite vowel is "e", for -er and -ir verbs, the opposite vowel is "a"). However, in this particular case, you need to be mindful of the possible change in the original pronunciation of the infinitive..llegar, and make appropriate adjustments. La "ge" in llegar is a strong sound, and therefore, must remain strong. Llege doesn't work because the weak vowels "e" and "i" change the sound. So, a strong vowel must be added to preserve the orginal sound...i.e..llegue. Also, the subjunctive mood is used when wants, desires, emotions and negation are involved. Punctuation is also very important in written spanish, but you can still get your point across without it.

"Spending eternity in a bad place is a long time!"

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utopiacowboy says on Apr 4, 2005, 21:03:

Critter's right. The damm subjunctive is the bane of many learning Spanish, myself included. They use it all the time!

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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Scalestick says on Apr 4, 2005, 22:09:

Thanks to all for all the info. Hopefully I will be able to use it to build a strong foundation for some basic language skills and take it from there. Obviously there is a lot to learn but it would be cool if I could communicate, to some degree, on a social level during this trip: sometimes being silent comes across as being rude when it's actually just fear of accidently insulting someone or embarrassing oneself ~ the lesser of the two evils that one can shrug off by laughing at oneself.

Muchas gracias

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bufalo says on Apr 5, 2005, 04:27:

For these two senteces I`d say the subjunctive is a possibility, but not definite. I mean, if the person is boarding a bus and getting to the destination it´s obvious that they will arrive and exactly when (allthough in Colombia who knows? HAHA it´s just a dumb joke, calm down people). But if it is up in the air then the subjunctive should be used, It depends on the situation, but yeah, I think I´d now lean more to the subjunctinve. 501 verbs is great, I unfortunately had to give mine away.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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Miguel says on Apr 5, 2005, 07:11:

Footnote to kernow62's instructions The number lock key must be engaged, also.

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rash9000 says on Apr 5, 2005, 10:15:

le escribire cuando (yo)llegue
cuando (tu) llegues
(el) llegue
(nosotros)lleguemos
(ustedes/vosotros)lleguen/llegueis
(ellos) lleguen

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elmodefoque says on Apr 5, 2005, 10:21:

Hey RASH, I also wanted to give myself that name. Back in the days I had a rash around my nuts that did not go away for nearly 2 years. I got it soon after banging some biker chick.

any colombianita willing to date me, IS UP TO NO GOOD

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peanutbutterconspiracy says on Apr 5, 2005, 10:27:

Subjunctive "Te escribire cuando llegue" is correct.

"Al llegar, te escribire" is also correct.

"Te escribire tan pronto como llegue" is correct, too.

The subjunctive does not always follow "cuando" - for example, compare:

"Cuando estoy en Colombia, hablo español."

When I am in Colombia, I [always or usually] speak Spanish.

"Cuando este en Colombia, hablo español."

[If and when] I am in Colombia, [then] I'll speak Spanish.

Do you see the difference? Use of the subjunctive changes the meaning.

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peanutbutterconspiracy says on Apr 5, 2005, 10:38:

More Subjunctive Bufalo wrote, "For these two senteces I`d say the subjunctive is a possibility, but not definite."

That is incorrect. In this instance, the subjunctive is definitely necessary.

"Te escribire cuando llegue" means "I will write you when I arrive [on this particular occasion]."

"Te escribo cuando llego" means "I [always or usually] write you when I arrive."

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bufalo says on Apr 5, 2005, 11:00:

peanutbuttecon is right, something about my post has been eating me all day an I just checked out the new ones. But remember the tilde one the "e" - "escribiré" poor little guys are becoming more forgotten every day. Scalestick, I actually thought you wrote the catalán version of español which is "espanyol". I see it a lot over here (Barcelona).

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

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peanutbutterconspiracy says on Apr 5, 2005, 11:18:

Tildes Yeah, you are right. I am lazy with tildes. I never use them. Most Latinos don't use them either (at least in casual emails).

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william_andrew_channell says on Apr 5, 2005, 14:05:

"Te escribo cuando llegue."

Remember that it's more common to use the present tense when talking about the near future. "Te escribiré" just sounds kind of strange and literary.

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utopiacowboy says on Apr 5, 2005, 16:03:

Thanks for helping me with my Spanish homework. How about some help with trig?

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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peanutbutterconspiracy says on Apr 5, 2005, 18:05:

"Strange and Literary" "Te escribo cuando llegue" is also correct (and more common in spoken Spanish).

I disagree, however, that "te escribire cuando llegue" sounds strange and literary. It sounds educated, not strange and literary. In a context of spoken Spanish, it might sound strange and literary. However, in a context of written Spanish - such as the present context - it sounds educated. In a written context, either is fine.

Even in a written context, though, "te escribo cuando llegue" is more common.

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