Writing the letter to the Three Wise Men | donQuijote

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 01/03/2020 - 01:00
Writing the Letter to the Three Wise Men: 5 Tips to Follow Writing the Letter to the Three Wise Men: 5 Tips to Follow

For Catholics all over the world, Christmas is a traditional holiday that starts on December 25. It commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, but it is also a time to celebrate with our loved ones, exchange gifts, eat typical products, say goodbye to the year that ends, and welcome the new one that begins.

Click here to continue reading this blog post in Spanish.

But, in Spain, we have our own holiday traditions, and when New Year’s celebrations are over and January 6 is approaching, we start to prepare one the most exciting festivities —especially for the youngest of the family: the arrival of the Three Wise Men. We have already told you in other posts of this blog what this tradition consists of, but today we are going to give you some tips for you to enjoy the ritual of writing the letter with your children, nephews, cousins ​​or little siblings. Not only is it about making a list of all the things they want to be given, but it can be also a good opportunity to teach them to think about their actions and the situation of the world around them.

1. Teach them to reflect on their behavior

Writing the letter to the Three Wise Men can be a great way to perform an exercise in self-criticism in which children reflect on their behavior and improve it in the future. It is therefore a good time to teach them that they should evolve day by day and have a conscious life, not only on these dates, but also during the rest of the year. They will learn to value that every effort has a reward.

2. Teach them to make decisions

Each year in the month of December, children start to decide what gifts they want to receive on January 6. But since they can't ask for everything in the toy catalog —because the Wise Men would go bankrupt— the little ones must learn to choose what they really want. They will be also learning that every decision we make has some kind of impact on our lives. Explain also that, although their desires are reasonable, they may not be given everything they asked for, as the Wise Men must reach every child in the world and, sometimes, they make mistakes. Thus, they will learn that we ​​cannot have all we want, even when we deserve it.

3. Recommend them to ask at least for one non-toy gift

Although we all know that children love toys, it can be a good point to teach them that there are other valuable things to ask for. Maybe, something to make the world a better place, like the ending of war, hunger or pollution throughout the world; or even something for their future, such as a family trip, or an unforgettable experience in a Spanish summer camp! They will learn a new language and make friends from all over the world.

4. Recommend them to choose one other gift that encourages exercise —physical or mental

Hottest toys today encourage sedentary lifestyle, that is, they are designed for children to play without much effort. However, this can be a good time to change habits and ask for some toy that promotes outdoor exercise, teamwork or intellectual development. Good examples of this are puzzles, bicycles, skates, sports balls, or even Spanish courses in Spain!

5. Teach them some history

Take this opportunity to teach some history to the youngest of the family. Tell them about the origin of cultural holidays . They will be learning interesting facts about our past and having fun at the same time, since history can be told as a story. They’ll love it!

At don Quijote, we hope you make the most of this blog post, so that you can perform the ritual in the best way! Here, you can find a letter template that you can download (click on the photo) and complete with the children around you. Do you take the challenge?

 

Practical Spanish Writing the Letter to the Three Wise Men. Here you can find 5 tips to follow before you send it. Off <!-- Revive Adserver Etiqueta JS asincrónica - Generated with Revive Adserver v5.0.2 --><ins data-revive-zoneid="7" data-revive-id="ec923599c3fad9b044f22a6a73433428"></ins><script async src="//ads.iegrupo.com/www/delivery/asyncjs.php"></script> Maria Martin

Spanish Abbreviations | donQuijote

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 12/09/2019 - 01:00
Spanish Abbreviations This is probably not the first time you find us talking about linguistic economy. When we shorten words, we make language more economical. Spanish Abbreviations

This is probably not the first time you find us talking about linguistic economy. When we shorten words, either using apocopes, acronyms or other types of abbreviation, we make language more economical. In other words, we express ourselves quicker. In today’s post, we bring you a list with some of the most used abbreviations in Spanish, so you can easily identify them.

Keep on reading to learn the most commonly used Spanish abbreviations or click here to switch to continue reading in Spanish.

Before Getting Started: Differences Between Sigla and Acrónimo

Both siglas and acrónimos are shortened forms of words. In Spanish, siglas are a type of abbreviation formed by the initial letter of each term in the string. They are spelled letter by letter. By contrast, acrónimos can be spelled by syllable.

  • Sigla: ECB > BCE (European Central Bank > Banco Central Europeo). Spelling: B-C-E.
  • Acrónimo: UN > ONU (United Nations > Organización de Naciones Unidas). Spelling: O-NU.

In this article by RAE (which is by the way an abbreviation of Real Academia Española) you’ll find the most common Spanish abbreviations.

Country and Language Abbreviations

Let us introduce you the ISO 3166 system in case you didn’t know it. This is a standard coding system that assigns three letters to each country. This way, the code for Spain is ESP, the code for Mexico is MEX and the code for Costa Rica is CRI.

And because not all countries have just one language, the international community has created another abbreviated system called ISO 639 to identify all languages around the world using only two letters. Here’s the name of all official languages spoken in Spain according to this system:

  • Spanish: ES
  • Catalan: CA
  • Basque: EU
  • Galician: GL

International Organizations Abbreviations in Spanish

One of the biggest challenges when learning a new language is being able to understand abbreviations. Some cultures tend to keep the official abbreviation (in the source language), but we all know that in Spanish we translate everything, even movie titles.

However, most of the times organizations abbreviations are made of English or French terms, which are not that different from Spanish. Thanks to this, the Spanish abbreviation usually differs from the English one only in the order of the elements. Let’s see the abbreviation of some of the most popular organizations in the media:

 

Organization’s Name

Abbreviation

Organización de las Naciones Unidas

United Nations

ONU

NATO

Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNESCO

UNESCO

Fondo de las Naciones Unidas para la Infancia

United Nations Children’s Fund

UNICEF

UNICEF

Organización del Tratado del Atlántico Norte

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

OTAN

NATO

Organización Mundial de la Salud

World Health Organization

OMS

WHO

Fondo Monetario Internacional

International Monetary Fund

FMI

IMF

Banco Central Europeo

European Central Bank

BCE

ECB

Time Abbreviations

Charts, calendars, reports and official documents usually contain dates that we tend to shorten to save time and space. To do so, we can use only numbers following the format dd/mm/yyyy or shorten the name of the month and the weekday. Although there are discrepancies between the different short forms, Fundéu recommends the use of the following ones:

Month Abbreviations in Spanish

Month

Abbreviation

Month

Abbreviation

Enero

ENE

Julio

JUL

Febrero

FEB

Agosto

AGO

Marzo

MAR

Septiembre

SET o SEP

Abril

ABR

Octubre

OCT

Mayo

MAY

Noviembre

NOV

Junio

JUN

Diciembre

DIC

 

Weekday Abbreviation in Spanish

Weekday

Abbreviation

Lunes

L

Martes

M

Miércoles

X

Jueves

J

Viernes

V

Sábado

S

Domingo

D

 

Texting Abbreviations in Spanish

Since the SMS (abbreviation of Short Message Service) appeared, the use of abbreviations increased. Afterwards, social media and instant messaging did they part and, nowadays, abbreviations are an ordinary thing in our daily chats. Twitter’s character limit and WhatsApp’s immediacy are good reasons why you should learn to identify (and use) texting abbreviations.

Let’s leave aside academic formality for a while and have a look at some of the most popular digital abbreviations.

Expression

Abbreviation

Porque, por qué

Why, because

xq / pq

Que

What, that, which

q

De

Of

d

Donde

Where

dnd

Mañana

Tomorrow

mñn

También

Also, as well

tb

Por favor

Please

xfa

 

Hope you found this post useful. Next time you face an unknown Spanish abbreviation, breath deeply and don’t panic! You can use the tips above to find out its meaning.

Language Practical Spanish This is probably not the first time you find us talking about linguistic economy. When we shorten words, we make language more economical. Off <!-- Revive Adserver Etiqueta JS asincrónica - Generated with Revive Adserver v5.0.2 --><ins data-revive-zoneid="7" data-revive-id="ec923599c3fad9b044f22a6a73433428"></ins><script async src="//ads.iegrupo.com/www/delivery/asyncjs.php"></script> Patricia Mendez

15 Spanish Words Commonly Used in English | donQuijote

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 11/29/2019 - 01:00
15 Spanish Words Commonly Used in English 15 Spanish Words Commonly Used in English

As we live in a globalized world, international relationships are increasingly frequent. From the late 15th century to the 17th century, Western culture began to spread to other parts of the world and extensive overseas exploration emerged as a powerful factor in European culture. That led to the discovery of new continents, and also to the exploitation of different resources and cultures, meaning the beginning of globalization. In this way, all kinds of resources were exchanged, making borrowed words a thing in most languages nowadays.

As we’ve already told you in other blog posts, Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world (thanks in part to the colonization during the Spanish Golden Age), with almost 500 million native speakers, a fact that has had a considerable impact on different languages. For this and other reasons (we love helping you to learn Spanish in the most original and easy way), today we want to share some 15 Spanish-origin words that are used naturally and have been borrowed by the English language.

Continue reading this entry or click here to switch to the Spanish version.

Some Spanish Origin Words

1. Aficionado: In Spanish, this term is used to define a person who has an interest in some subject informally or superficially. But in English, this word is used as a synonym for connoisseur, that is, `understood´ or `expert´. For example, a `literature aficionado´ would be someone who, in addition to enjoy reading, has deep knowledge or is an expert in literature.

2. Barrio: Native English speakers use this term as a synonym for `neighborhood´ or `quarter´, and its meaning is the same as in Spanish: a specific area of a city or town.

3. Cafeteria: It is usually used to refer to a self-service coffee shop or restaurant, but also for those spaces found in schools, or workplaces, which are used for eating and having lunch. It is also a synonym for “canteen”.

4. Fiesta: The word fiesta has the same meaning as the word `party´, and was included in English dictionaries in 1983 after Lionel Richie used it in his song `All Night Long´.

5. Guerrilla: This word means the same in English as it does in Spanish, that is to refer to paramilitary groups acting independently of official armies in a specific conflict.

6. Macho: This word is not used in English to refer to the sex of the different species, it only means `very masculine´. It began to be used after the famous song of the Village People: `Macho Man´.

7. Maestro: Actually, this term is an Italian origin word, and it is used in English with two different connotations: to refer to famous composers and conductors of classical music, and also to designate geniuses in other areas and disciplines. 

8. Mosquito: As we do in Spanish, this term is used in English to allude to a slender, long-legged insect that bites.

9. Negro: This term was used until the 19th century, especially in the US, in a very pejorative way towards black-skinned people. Today is still a super offensive insult and disrespect for African American people.

10. Patio: This term is used in the United Kingdom to refer to outdoor spaces inside pubs or restaurants. The equivalent English origin is `beer garden´ or `terrace´. On the other hand, patio is also used to make reference to that spaces that usually exist in the single-family houses in the UK and Ireland.

11. Plaza: The word plaza means the same as in Spanish and it is a synonym for `square´, `park´ or `court´, although recently it has begun to be used for shopping mall, and also for especially representative hotels, such as the `Plaza Hotel´ in New York.

12. Politico: Word used in informal contexts to refer to the politicians of a country in a pejorative way.

13. Pueblo: In English, this word is used to refer to American Indian villages of the southwestern US.

14. Siesta: The word siesta is associated with the habit of lying down for a while after having lunch. The English-origin term is `nap´.

15. Solo: This term of Spanish origin refers to loneliness or the fact of doing something without any company, especially in a musical performance or composition.

At don Quijote, we hope that this entry’s been interesting and fun for you, but, above all, that helps you understand these words in order to use them correctly in both languages. Finally, we want to share a phrase that any English speaker would understand without much difficulty: El maestro tocó un solo de guitarra en la fiesta de la plaza del barrio, lo que no dejó dormir la siesta al macho del pueblo. Can you think of any other?

Practical Spanish 15 Spanish Words Commonly Used in English Off <!-- Revive Adserver Etiqueta JS asincrónica - Generated with Revive Adserver v5.0.2 --><ins data-revive-zoneid="7" data-revive-id="ec923599c3fad9b044f22a6a73433428"></ins><script async src="//ads.iegrupo.com/www/delivery/asyncjs.php"></script> Maria Martin

Mixed languages: A Different Kind of Spanish | donQuijote

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 11/25/2019 - 01:00
Mixed languages: A Different Kind of Spanish Mixed languages: A Different Kind of Spanish

Imagine having to plan a trip without Internet. You would need to use a real map, ask around to find a hotel, choose a restaurant without reading Google reviews… Sounds tough, right? Well, centuries ago, when the first explorers and merchants sailed the seven seas, they didn’t have machine translation apps in their smartphones.

How do you think they communicated with people from other lands? The answer is easy: they had to find linguistic solutions easy to understand for both parties. Keep on reading this post or click here to switch to the Spanish version of this article and find out about mixed languages and how they originated.

Lingua franca, pidgin and creole

When a cultural exchange between two or more different cultures takes part, speakers need to find a way to communicate effectively. Before translators existed, this was possible thanks to linguae francae, pidgins and creole languages.

A lingua franca is an already existing language which people from different linguistic backgrounds use to communicate. Until the 18th Century, for example, Latin was the lingua franca for scientists and scholars. Nowadays, English has taken that role on an international level.

In contrast, a pidgin language is a new linguistic variety that arises when two or more groups of speakers need to attain something immediately; for example, a trade deal. It’s the result of the contact between at least two languages, with one of them having more prestige than the other one.

Finally, creole languages, as their name indicates, are those that have developed organically from the colonies’ cultural mixture. With the European expansion in the 16th and 17th Centuries, Amerindian languages, European languages and African languages merged, generating new linguistic varieties.

5 Spanish-Based Pidgin and Creole Languages

Due to the History of the Spanish Crown, Spanish is present in many mixed languages around the world. Here’s a list with the top Spanish-based pidgin and creole languages.

1.Chavacano

Chavacano is a group of languages spoken in the Philippines. The vocabulary of Chavacano consists generally of Spanish words and grammatical structures borrowed from the local languages. It is the main language of Zamboanga City, although it is not very common for Filipinos to speak it fluently.

2.Palenquero

In Colombia, about 2500 people spoke Palenque in the early 90s. It is a mixture of Spanish and the slaves’ African languages. Nowadays, it is practically an unintelligible language for Spanish speakers and just some old people speak it, so most probably it’s going to disappear soon.

3.Jopara

Did you know that Guarani is the national language in Paraguay, as well as Spanish? 90% of the population understand it and it is taught in schools, but most speakers mix it very often with Spanish. This Guarani variation is called Jopara.

4.Cocoliche

This pidgin is the language that resulted after several Italian dialects mixed with the Spanish spoken in Argentina during the 19th and the 20th Centuries. Like other mixed languages, its use is mostly restricted to the conversational mode. This language has less and less speakers every time, but many Cocoliche words are now part of the Lunfardo speech, a dialect spoken in Buenos Aires.

5.Yanito

And finally, we have the only creole language in Europe: yanito. The old continent has traditionally been migrant, and that’s why most mixed languages in the world are found in colonies. However, there is one example of a creole language in Spain: Gibraltar’s yanito. People in this British territory in Algeciras Bay (Cadiz) speak a peculiar mix of English and Spanish.

Hope you learned a lot about how far a language can get. If you want to learn more on the topic, watch the video below. Are you considering now learning Spanish?

Practical Spanish When a cultural exchange between two or more different cultures takes part, speakers need to find a way to communicate effectively. Off <!-- Revive Adserver Etiqueta JS asincrónica - Generated with Revive Adserver v5.0.2 --><ins data-revive-zoneid="7" data-revive-id="ec923599c3fad9b044f22a6a73433428"></ins><script async src="//ads.iegrupo.com/www/delivery/asyncjs.php"></script> Patricia Mendez

DELE Exam: 6 sample to prepare It

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 11/15/2019 - 01:00
DELE Exam November: 6 Sample Exam Papers to Prepare It DELE Exam November

Sergio Leone said that “La vita è un'attesa tra un esame e l'altro” (“Life is a wait between one exam and another”).

The wait is now over and the next call for the official Spanish exam of the Cervantes Institute (the most internationally recognized, the DELE exam) is upcoming very soon.  At don Quijote, we know that this test is necessary for many reasons, we want you to be super prepared so that you can get the best grade you can!

Continue reading if you want to know more or click here to change to the Spanish version.

We assume that you have already completed the DELE exam preparation course with us, but since we do not want you to miss anything, today we bring you a lot of practice (sample DELE Exam Papers divided by levels) with which you will reinforce your skills and review the contents and exercises for the test.

When is the DELE exam?

In previous blog posts, we’ve already given you some tips on how to sing up for the DELE exam in 5 easy steps, and we’ve also talked about the exam dates and registration deadlines for 2019.

As for the next (and last) dates for the DELE exam, these will be next November. The levels convened are the following:

• A1 and A2 / B1 for the youngest

• A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2 for adults.

But if you have not registered yet, we regret to tell you that it is already too late for now, since the last day to register was October. However, if this is your case and you have not arrived on time, do not worry! The dates for next year will come out soon and you will be able to complete your registration. Stay tuned, because we will notify you as soon as we have news.

Sample DELE Exam Papers

Here you can find some sample DELE Exam Papers, which have been broken down into the different levels according to the European Framework Language Levels. Click on each link to go directly to the Instituto Cervantes’ DELE webpage and download the sample exam papers for each level:

DELE Exam Sample Papers A1

DELE Exam Sample Papers A2

DELE Exam Sample Papers B1

DELE Exam Sample Papers B2

DELE Exam Sample Papers C1

DELE Exam Sample Papers C2

We trust that these exercises will be useful and can serve as a guide for preparing the DELE exam. We can only wish you the best of luck and encourage you to continue studying Spanish or other languages. We'll be waiting for you!

 

Language Practical Spanish Prepare the DELE Exam on November. Here you can find 6 sample that will help you pass it. Off <!-- Revive Adserver Etiqueta JS asincrónica - Generated with Revive Adserver v5.0.2 --><ins data-revive-zoneid="7" data-revive-id="ec923599c3fad9b044f22a6a73433428"></ins><script async src="//ads.iegrupo.com/www/delivery/asyncjs.php"></script> Maria Martin

5 Trendy Words That Don’t Translate Into Spanish

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/28/2019 - 01:00
5 Trendy Words That Don’t Translate Into Spanish 5 Trendy Words That Don’t Translate Into Spanish

Popular slang words among young Spaniards (and their Spanish counterparts)

Although 60% of Spaniards say they can’t speak English, there are more and more foreign terms that end up slipping through their everyday conversations. New tech, the rise of the Internet, and globalization explain somehow the Shakespearization of Spanish. But, are all these loans actually necessary?

Read this post in Spanish.

In 2016, RAE (Royal Spanish Academy) launched a campaign against anglicisms called “Lengua madre solo hay una”, which encouraged the use of Spanish counterparts for popular words such as brainstorming or casting.

However, Spanish youngsters have taken the lead in the use of anglicisms due to their exposure to the Internet. We have compiled some of them in this list with the trendiest English words (and their Spanish meaning). From now on… there’s no excuse to get Spanish back on track!

  1. Crush

A crush is an intense and usually short-lived infatuation commonly translated into Spanish as flechazo (‘arrow wound’, referring to Cupid’s). Another Spanish counterpart that we recommend is amor platónico (platonic love).

  1. Hater

Social media are a breeding ground for anglicisms. This term was born right there to describe people who complain about everything or who present intense hostility online. We agree that the direct translation odiadores doesn’t sound like a match, but what about criticones (fault-finders)?

  1. Stories

Instagram has changed the way young people speak. Even the different posts types are now part of the Internet vocabulary. Just as it occurred with the Facebook’s timeline in the past, Instagram Stories (easy to translate to Historias) are such a thing nowadays.

  1. Mainstream

Since the boom of the underground culture, this word has been on everyone’s lips. Mainstream music, art, fashion, or literature are the ones that get promoted through mass media, reaching large audiences. Although we don’t have an exact counterpart in Spanish, we recommend you use cultura de masas instead.

  1. Hype

The hype has become such a popular term in the Internet. This expression, short for hyperbole, depicts excitement or expectation. When Fundéu, a linguistic non-profit organization, asked Twitter how to translate this word into Spanish, bombo or flipe were two of the top-rated options.

That was it for our 5 trendiest anglicisms today. If you want to look at things from another perspective, watch our video about 5 Spanish words that have no English translation.

Practical Spanish 5 Trendy Words That Don’t Translate Into Spanish Off <!-- Revive Adserver Etiqueta JS asincrónica - Generated with Revive Adserver v5.0.2 --><ins data-revive-zoneid="7" data-revive-id="ec923599c3fad9b044f22a6a73433428"></ins><script async src="//ads.iegrupo.com/www/delivery/asyncjs.php"></script> Patricia Mendez

100 Must-Know Computer Words in Spanish | donQuijote

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/25/2019 - 02:00
100 Must-Know Computer Words in Spanish 100 Must-Know Computer Words in Spanish

Traveling abroad to learn Spanish can be a great challenge, but it can also help you open new doors and paths, both academically and professionally. In order to make the challenge a little easier for you and taking advantage of the fact that we are in the month of computer learning, today we are going to talk about computer vocabulary in Spanish.

Click here to read this blog post in Spanish.

The Advancement of New Technology

You already know that emerging technologies are increasingly present in our routines, so we are forced to memorize new concepts frequently, even when we learn another language. New technology has really become part of our every day’s life, whether we are sitting in front of a laptop, using a desktop computer, or even surfing the web on our tablet or smartphone. Besides, it is also important to be able to hold a conversation and to use these concepts in a general context as they may come up time and time again!

Although the vocabulary of technology, especially that of information technology, is full of English origin words which you should identify, many of these terms have been translated or adapted to Spanish so they sound more natural to native speakers. Since it’s important to be accurate and to have a good command of vocabulary, this list will be very useful for you, particularly if you are interested in working in a Spanish speaking office environment or in doing business with Spanish clients or partners that might be using new technology items.

In this section, you will find the most commonly used words in Spanish to refer to hardware, software and interaction with programs which you might have to put in practice in computer related situations. If you are going to be in a situation where it is likely that you need these words, we recommend that you keep them close at hand until you have learned them off by heart, so that you can refer back to them in whatever situation may arise.

Computer Terms in Spanish

ENGLISH

SPANISH

Address

Dirección

App

Aplicación

“At” (symbol @)

Arroba

Attachment

Documento adjunto

Backup

Copia de seguridad

Battery

Batería

Browser

Navegador

Button

Botón

Cache

Caché

Chat

Conversación

Click

Clic

Clipboard

Portapapeles

Code

Código

Control Panel

Panel de control

Computer

Ordenador

Computing

Informática

Connect

Conectar

Copy and Paste

Copiar y pegar

Crash

Colgarse, bloquearse

Cursor

Cursor

Cut and Paste

Cortar y pegar

Cyberspace

Ciberespacio

Data

Datos

Database

Base de datos

Delete

Borrar

Desktop

Escritorio

Developer

Desarrollador

Digital

Digital

Disk

Disco

Domain

Dominio

Dot

Punto

Download

Descargar

Drag

Arrastrar

Data

Datos

E-mail

E-mail, correo electrónico

Execute

Ejecutar

File

Archivo

Flash memory

Memoria USB

Folder

Carpeta

Hacker

Pirata informático

Hacking

Piratear

Hard drive

Disco duro

Headphones

Auriculares

Home page

Página de inicio

Hyperlink

Hipervínculo

Icon

Icono

Inbox

Bandeja de entrada

Install

Instalar

Interactive

Interactivo

Internet

Internet

Item

Objeto

Key

Tecla

Keyboard

Teclado

Laptop

Portátil

Link

Link, enlace

Mailbox

Buzón

Mail server

Servidor de correo

Memory

Memoria

Memory card

Tarjeta de memoria

Menu

Menú

Message

Mensaje

Microphone

Micrófono

Modem

Módem

Mouse

Ratón

Network

Red

Operating system

Sistema operativo

Outbox

Bandeja de salida

Password

Contraseña

Print

Imprimir

Printer

Impresora

Privacy

Privacidad

Processor

Precesador

Reset

Reiniciar, resetear

Router

Router

Save

Guardar

Scanner

Escáner

Screen

Pantalla

Screenshot

Captura de pantalla

Search engine

Motor de búsqueda

Server

Servidor

Software

Software, programa

Smartphone

Teléfono inteligente, smartphone

Social networks

Redes sociales

Spam

Correo no deseado, spam

Speakers

Altavoces

Subject

Asunto

Tab

Pestaña

Tag

Etiqueta, etiquetar

Toolbar

Barra de herramientas

Turn on

Encender

Turn off

Apagar

Update

Actualizar

Upload

Cargar, subir

User

Usuario

Virus

Virus

Webcam

Cámara web

Web page

Página web

Website

Sitio web

Wi-Fi

Wifi

Window

Ventana

Wireless

Inalámbrico


And if you want to write the word español properly when using a computer, you will need a keyboard that contains the letter <ñ>. The other options are to copy and paste it or even enter its own symbol code:

  • <Ñ> Uppercase: ALT + 0209
  • <ñ> Lowercase: ALT + 0241

At don Quijote, we hope you’ve enjoyed this blog post and, especially, that you put these terms into practice so that you will be able to use them as a real native speaker.

 computer

Language Practical Spanish 100 Must-Know Computer Words in Spanish. If you work in the tecnhological industry, you will need to know these words in Spanish. Off <!-- Revive Adserver Etiqueta JS asincrónica - Generated with Revive Adserver v5.0.2 --><ins data-revive-zoneid="7" data-revive-id="ec923599c3fad9b044f22a6a73433428"></ins><script async src="//ads.iegrupo.com/www/delivery/asyncjs.php"></script> Maria Martin

10 Spanish Words Borrowed From English | DonQuijote

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/21/2019 - 02:00
10 Spanish Words Borrowed From English 10 Spanish Words Borrowed From English

Anglicism - Definition

 

Ludwig Wittgenstein said that "the limits of my language are the limits of my world", and at don Quijote, we couldn’t agree more.

Today, we are going to talk about foreign words. They are loan words that one language takes from another to cover a semantic void or to offer a lexical alternative.

Read this entry in Spanish if you want to practice.

In a globalized world like the one we live in nowadays, ideas travel at great speed and cross borders. For this reason, new concepts arise sometimes, and with them, the need for a word to name them.

But we are going to focus on some loanwords that come from the English language (also called anglicisms) and have made their way into the Spanish vocabulary. In some cases, the loan word is assimilated into the receiving language with changes in spelling and/or pronunciation.

However, those who learn Spanish as a second language find some of these adjustments very comical. 

 

10 Examples of Anglicisms Adapted to Spanish

 

Next, we present 10 examples of hilarious anglicisms adapted to Spanish in terms of spelling and pronunciation that have been accepted by the RAE (Spanish Royal Academy).

 

English word

Spanish assimilation

Whiskey

Güisqui

NGO

ONG - Oenegé

Blue Jean

Bluyín (Latin America)

Hippie

Jipi

Football

Fútbol

Twiter

Tuiter

Meeting

Mitin

Freaky

Friqui o friki

CD-ROM

Cederrón

Click

Clicar

 

 

 

 

Here at don Quijote, we hope you’ve enjoyed this blog post. Besides, we’d like to say thanks to the English language since Spanish wouldn’t be the same without these fantastic loan words!

If you want to learn more about the Spanish vocabulary, have a look at our last video 5 Palabras que existen en español pero no en inglés.


Practical Spanish Spanish Words Borrowed From English Off <!-- Revive Adserver Etiqueta JS asincrónica - Generated with Revive Adserver v5.0.2 --><ins data-revive-zoneid="7" data-revive-id="ec923599c3fad9b044f22a6a73433428"></ins><script async src="//ads.iegrupo.com/www/delivery/asyncjs.php"></script> Maria Martin

Spanish Words You’ll Wish Existed in English | donQuijote

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/07/2019 - 02:00
5 Spanish Words You’ll Wish Existed in English Spanish Words You’ll Wish Existed in English

English has become the de facto global language — just look at international airport signs, press releases, the media, and the internet. However, every language has its limits, including English. So much so that some Spanish speakers might say that this Germanic language is missing some words.

Beyond just a means of communication, each language is also a way of interpreting reality, which explains why there are lots of cultural concepts that have a name in some languages but not in others. In today’s article we’ll show you 5 Spanish words with no English equivalent. Click here if you want to read this entire article in Spanish.

1. Estrenar

Estrenar is a verb that means to use something for the first time. Sounds super useful, right? You can estrenar your new jeans, estrenar a new notebook, etc. In this case, contrary to what usually happens, we have to use a whole phrase in English to communicate what Spanish manages to say in a single word. Here’s an example:

Ayer estrené unos zapatos nuevos

Yesterday I wore my new shoes for the first time

2. Sobremesa

 

La sobremesa is the time people spend sitting together chatting or having a drink after a meal. This word is cultural in nature. It’s not so much that English is missing a term, but rather that the concept of sobremesa isn’t as present in English-speaking countries, and therefore not enough people have felt the need to have a name for it.

In Mediterranean cultures, including Spanish, the shared moment after a meal can go on for hours and hours. However, in other European countries this practice is not as common.

Another cultural word is siesta. Spanish has a word for this custom because it’s something that Spanish people do. But if there was a country where nobody took naps, would they have a name for it?

3. Tocayo

This one is a bit harder to explain. A tocayo or tocaya is someone who has the same name as another person. For example, the Spiderman actor James Franco and the famous soul singer James Brown are tocayos.

Fun fact! The word tocayo comes from Náhuatl. In this indigenous language from Mexico, tocaitl means name, honor, or fame.

4. Entrecejo

 

Let’s be honest: What would the iconic image of Frida Kahlo be without her entrecejo? As the name indicates (entre meaning “between” and ceja meaning “eyebrow”), the entrecejo is the space between one eyebrow and the other. For some people, this area is just a few centimeters of bare skin, while in others, like the famous Mexican artist, it’s covered in hair, forming the middle third of a unibrow.

5. Madrugar

Today’s last word is the most useful of all: madrugar. You can save a lot of time saying “wake up early” with just one word. Madrugar is such a commonly used word in Spanish that it comes with its own saying:

A quien madruga, Dios le ayuda

(God helps those who get up early)

Our equivalent phrase in English is “The early bird catches the worm.”

There you have the 5 Spanish words we think should exist in English. If you liked this article, share it in video form with your friends and start using these words! Remember, new terms can be accepted into the English dictionary if people start using them in everyday life, so hop to it!

Practical Spanish Learn here 5 Spanish words with an unusual meaning and when you learn them, you'll wish they existed in English. Off <!-- Revive Adserver Etiqueta JS asincrónica - Generated with Revive Adserver v5.0.2 --><ins data-revive-zoneid="7" data-revive-id="ec923599c3fad9b044f22a6a73433428"></ins><script async src="//ads.iegrupo.com/www/delivery/asyncjs.php"></script> Vanessa Johnson

Back to school in Spain: 5 tips to survive | dQ

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 09/06/2019 - 02:00
Back to school in Spain: 5 tips to survive the new term Every year, Spanish schoolchildren get prepared for the new course that begins with the arrival of the fall in September. Find here 5 tips to survive the new term. Back To School in Spain: 5 Tips To Survive The New Term

As the song of the Spanish music band Los Piratas says, "No te echaré de menos en septiembre" (I won’t miss you in September). Every year, Spanish schoolchildren get prepared for the new course that begins with the arrival of the fall.

Click here to read this post in Spanish to improve your reading skills.

1.- The beginning of a new term:

While in Canada and the US back-to-school shopping is associated with Labor Day (first Monday of September), in Spain, we know the new term is approaching when we see publicity campaigns advertising the back-to-school season. Now it’s time to buy textbooks and cover them with great care, a ritual I imagine will be disappeared soon since the tendency is to change paper for modern tablets.

September is the month to get hold of back-to-school supplies: a new diary, some pencils, pens and an eraser (I still can remember that characteristic smell of stationery shops). Some will even have to get a new backpack as the old one is tattered after so much rattle!

But what we really need before starting this new stage are a good attitude and a lot of enthusiasm to commence this new cycle and take up new projects: studying languages, doing some sport, and, especially, being persevering students.

In don Quijote, we encourage you to visit us if you are considering learning Spanish in Spain or improving your level.

Here you go some basics you should know if studying in Spain and want to be prepared for the new school year.

2.- Education in Spain

In Spain, we talk about Centros de Educación Primaria and Centros de Educación Secundaria (the so-called institutos), as far as compulsory education is concerned. Children must go to school since they’re 6 years old (although most start at the age of 3) and remain studying at least until they’re 16.

When students finish compulsory education in Spain, they have different options to continue studying: they can do either bachillerato (High School) to access to a ciclo formativo de grado superior (Higher Professional Training) or University; or just a ciclo formativo de grado medio (Basic Vocational Training).

If you want to go further, go to our website and learn more about the Spanish Education System.

3.- When does the school year begin in Spain?

The new school year will begin between the first and second week of September , depending on the region and the corresponding educational stage.

In the case of the so-called escuelas de primaria (Primary Schools), the academic year starts around September 10; while institutos (High Schools) and centros de FP (Vocational Education Centers) get started around September 15. Besides, university students normally wait until the end of September or even the beginning of October to go back to their lessons.

4.- The length of the school year in Spain:

The school year in Spain lasts over nine months, distributed into three different trimestres (trimesters) separated by vacation periods at the end of each term. The first one coincides with fall months (from September to December), and closes with the Holiday Season. The second one comes with the entry of winter, and ends with the arrival of spring and the Easter holidays (January - April). Finally, we reach the end of the term with the third trimester, which runs until the end of June.

At universities, the academic year is divided into cuatrimestres (quarters). The first one goes from October to January and the second one from February to May.

5.- The longed-for vacations

If there’s something we all like (whether we are students or workers), that is the vacation period. After months of routine and daily effort, we count the days we have left to enjoy that rest we were waiting for so much.

The first holiday period comes with Christmas. Spain is a country of Catholic tradition, and two of the three main holiday periods commemorate this kind of festivities. At Christmas, holidays are usually extended for two weeks for schoolchildren. This is because the day of the Three Wise Men (January 6) is an important celebration, as most of us receive and make gifts throughout that day.

After the Holiday Season, we must wait until Easter to have a break again (except for students in the Canary Islands, who enjoy a week in carnival). This vacation period (10 days in the Peninsula and Balearic Islands and 7 in the Canary Islands) is usually re-scheduled every year since it comes from a pagan holiday and it’s celebrated on the first full moon of the spring season.

Finally, we close the cycle again with summer vacations. In Spain, this period lasts from the last week of June (for most educational stages) until the month of September (the week depends on the different regions and the educational stage as we have already commented before). Besides, many schoolchildren take advantage of these months to sign up for summer camps to make the most of their time.

Apart from these and depending on each term’s school calendar, there are other public holidays and celebrations.

We hope this post helps you to organize the new school term. Ready to keep your studies up-to date?

Practical Spanish Spanish schoolchildren get prepared for the new course that begins with the arrival of the fall in September. Find here 5 tips to survive the new term. Off <!-- Revive Adserver Etiqueta JS asincrónica - Generated with Revive Adserver v5.0.2 --><ins data-revive-zoneid="7" data-revive-id="ec923599c3fad9b044f22a6a73433428"></ins><script async src="//ads.iegrupo.com/www/delivery/asyncjs.php"></script> Maria Martin
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