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How To Learn Spanish Sentences and Spanish Vocabulary Words

Today we will learn Spanish sentences and some Spanish words. I have a very funny story to tell you that will help you learn Spanish sentences and some Spanish vocabulary words. Last week, I received an interesting email from a customer.

She wrote,

"Patrick, you have an error in your previous email. You wrote:

El acróbata caminó por la cuerda floja en el circo.
(The acrobat walked across the tight rope in the circus.)

Patrick, you wrote that 'cuerda floja' means 'tight rope.' You should have written 'cuerda tensa' instead because 'cuerda floja' does not make sense."

That was the email that I received. By the way, "floja" means "loose" or "weak." And "tenso" means "tense."

As English speakers, especially as Americans, we tend to approach learning a foreign language as if foreign languages were "created" with English speakers or Americans in mind. But in order to become fluent in Spanish you must NOT think in "American." You must "unlearn" many concepts that you have learned in English and re-learn them in Spanish.

A "tight rope" does look "tenso." But it only looks "tenso" when no one is trying to walk across it. As soon as someone begins to walk across it, it then begins to look "flojo" (loose, weak). Which is why Spanish speakers call it a "cuerda floja." Literally, loose or weak rope. So to really master Spanish, you have to un-learn many English concepts and begin to think in Spanish.

This reminds of a post that a Facebook "friend" made. In Facebook, he wrote:

"I hope I don't offend anyone, but why do Mexicans say such ridiculous things like 'open the water for me'?"

I then wrote on his Facebook "muro" (wall) that Spanish speakers use the verb "abrir" (to open), instead of the verb "prender" (to turn on) or the verb "encender" (to turn on).

Abre el agua.
Turn on the water.
(Literally, "open the water.")

I also wrote on his "muro" (wall) that the phrase that Spanish speakers use makes a lot more sense than the phrase that we use. That's because water does not flow throw an electrical conduit. So there is nothing to "turn on." You are "opening" a faucet so that water can pass through a pipe.

There are so many concepts that are different in English that we must "unlearn" in order to learn Spanish. Here are some more:

In Spanish, you are not hungry. In Spanish, you have hunger (tener hambre).

Tengo hambre
I am hungry.
(Literally, I have hunger.)

In Spanish, you are not cold. In Spanish, you have cold (tener frío).

Tiene frío.
Your are cold.
(Literally, "you have cold.")

In Spanish when speaking of the weather, it is not windy. It makes wind (hacer viento).

Hoy hace viento.
Today it is windy.
(Literally, "today, it makes wind.")

In Spanish, you do not "have something left." In Spanish, "something stays with you" (quedarle a alguien).

Solamente me quedan dos dólares.
I only have two dollars left.
(Literally, "only two dollars stay with me.")

In Spanish, you do not "put away something."
In Spanish, you "guard it" (guardar).

Guarda la moneda en tu alcancía con forma de cerdo.
Put the change away in your piggy bank.
(Literally, "guard the change in your piggy bank.")

In Spanish, you do not "pay attention." In Spanish, you "make attention" (hacer caso a).

Mi hijo no me hace caso a mí.
My son does not pay attention to me.
(Literally, "my son does not make attention to me.")

In Spanish, you do not "pay a visit to someone." In Spanish, you "make a visit to someone" (hacer una visita).

Graciela quiere hacer una visita a su suegra.
Graciela wants to pay a visit to her mother-in-law.
(Literally, "Graciela wants to make a visit to her mother-in-law.")

In Spanish, one does not become sad or any other emotional state not requiring a conscious effort.
In Spanish, one puts himself sad or or any other emotional state not requiring a conscious effort (ponerse).

Ayer Juan se puso triste.
Yesterday Juan became sad.
(Literally, "yesterday, Juan put himself sad.)

In Spanish, one does not give birth. In Spanish, one gives light.

Anoche Maricela dio luz a un bebé.
Last night Maricela gave birth to a baby.
(Literally, last night Maricela gave light to a baby.)

The remainder of this email is for my readers who are 13 years old and younger.

If you are above the age of 13 I strongly encourage you to stop reading right now and look forward to my next article because you may find the rest of this email "grosero" (gross) or "asqueroso" (disgusting).

But if you are under the age of 13, you may find what I am about to say very "chistoso" (funny) and "gracioso" (amusing).

In Spanish, you do not "make" or "blow" farts.
In Spanish you "throw a fart" (tirarse un pedo).

La niña dijo que los niños se tiraron muchos pedos en la escueala.
The girl said the boys farted a lot in school.
(Literally, "the girl said the boys threw a lot of farts in school.)

But if you are around "adultos" instead of using the word "pedo" (fart) the correct term to use is "echarse un gas" (to pass gas). I have also heard
the term "hacer un gas" used in Colombia.

Me eché un gas.
I passed gas.
(Literally, I threw a gas.)

In Colombia:

Yo hice un gas.
I passed gas.

This concludes today's Spanish lesson on how to learn Spanish sentences and Spanish vocabulary words.

Pat Jackson is the Founder of Learning Spanish Like Crazy - the only lear

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