Tiene su aquel

Question

In Spanish we usually use the idiom phrase "tiene su aquel" when something or someone has some character in itself which makes it special, different, particular or peculiar.

Colloquially it is also applied to what is mysterious, attractive or complicated.

I have looked for it in the phrasebook, but I can't find it. The translator matches "Has its one", but I don't believe that this sounds too good. For English speakers... Has this expression any meaning?

And if it hasn't... is there an equivalent in your language?

Thanks in advance

And feel free to correct my English.

Your English is wonderful, absolutely perfet! - mountaingirl123, Sep 20, 2010

Great English, just a couple of small spelling mistakes sp. matches/feel :) - Kiwi-Girl, Sep 20, 2010

A lot of thanks to both! - cogumela, Sep 20, 2010

You would say, "Does this expression mean anything?" Has this expression any meaning is understandable, but is very stilted and would not be spoken, and would be written only in arcaine manuscripts. - Echoline, Sep 30, 2010

Answer 1

"It has a certain something" - tiene un encanto especial, único, que no se puede identificar exactamente, pero existe algo muy especial en la cosa (o inclusive en una persona) que lo hace completamente fuera de serie.

That is good!! - cogumela, Sep 20, 2010

Creo que las dos aprendimos algo nuevo! - mountaingirl123, Sep 20, 2010

Answer 2

English speakers tend to steal borrow the French equivalent phrase:

je ne sais quoi,

Thanks!! There is also a Spanish equivalent for this expression, un nosequé. - cogumela, Sep 21, 2010

Answer 3

¿Es semejante a "tiene su encanto"? Si así es, se dice "it has its charm".

Thanks !! It's similar in some context, but not exactly. - cogumela, Sep 20, 2010

Answer 4

Cogumela said:

Has this expression any meaning?

It's more common to say "Does this expression have any meaning?"

---

Heidi said:

you are not doing us a favour telling us how wonderful our English is, especially asking for corrections!

This is so true! Imagine if we forgot to use articles in Spanish but the native speakers told us that it was "perfect."

I don't see anything wrong with Cogumela's "Has this expression any meaning". It is perfectly fine grammatically speaking and it is a much more educated way of posing the question. I would use a sentence such as this in oral communications. - lkelly, Sep 21, 2010

Me too, I think it's better than 'Does this have...' Interesting eh? :) - galsally, Sep 26, 2010

Answer 5

lot (LARGE AMOUNT)

noun INFORMAL

A lot of or lots of means a large amount or number of something: I saved a lot of money with those coupons. They hope to have lots of children.

A lot can mean much or often: You look a lot like your sister. We eat out a lot.

From the Cambridge Dictionary Online

Answer 6

Comugela I am going to more correction Has this any meaning Should Does this mean anything to you. If you're trying to translate tener sentido. It would be does it make sense?

Thanks to all of you! Oh, my God! What a mess I wrote in my post! :) - cogumela, Sep 21, 2010

This is the best proof of everything that can be learned here. I'm deeply grateful ! - cogumela, Sep 21, 2010

Answer 7

And feel free to correct my English.

Hello Cogumela! Since you ask .........

A lot of thanks to both!

......... is a bad mistake. If a native speaker hears you saying this they might mock you and we don't want that. Better that you hear it from me.

Please don't feel offended or discouraged - your English is excellent. (y gracias por enseñarme español - ya he aprendido mucho de ti)

Un saludo

I've sent you a PM, and Thanks! For your corrections and for your kindness. - cogumela, Sep 21, 2010

Answer 8

And, the way to say "A lot of thanks to both" is just, "Thanks to both of you."

I have been thinking about when you can use "a lot of" and when using it is incorrect, and I am having trouble coming up with a general rule.

"A lot of" often means "many", as in, "I can eat a lot of donuts", or "there are a lot of cars on the road".

You can say, "I am in a lot of trouble" (where it means "much"), but if you said "I have a lot of trouble" it would sound odd. IIt is not clear to me why it doesn't work in the second example, it just doesn't.

And, going back to the original example, it is common to say, "Lots of thanks to both of you".

My conclusion? I am so glad I don't have to learn English as a second language! Spanish makes so much more sense.

J

Thank you, J !! Your answer is interesting. It seems to be related with countable/uncountable nouns. I'm going to research it!! - cogumela, Sep 21, 2010

Answer 9

Mari claire and mountain, you are not doing us a favour telling us how wonderful our English is, especially asking for corrections!

I found a missing subject, mistake which is frequent in cogu's posts, please correct our posts!

Thank you Heidita! - cogumela, Sep 21, 2010