Inglés-cized Phrases

Question

Is it okay to transfer American or English phrases or sayings into Spanish?

I know that many cultures have similar phrases that they use, but what about the ones that may not necessarily be of the Spanish culture.

(Likewise, I´m sure there are many sayings in spanish that I wouldn´t understand without knowing their culture(s) better.)

I notice that someone once wanted a translation for the saying, ¨how about them apples.¨ Is that taken well and understood?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Sentence fragments don't even seem to translate too well... the language shift seems to carry with it a complete paradigm shift too (as in previous discussions on "I have hunger" vs "I'm hungry"). From the alternative spanish dictionary, you could pick out some common insult, translate it word-by-word and get something that just seems like a bunch of random words with only an abstract if any relevance to each other (and definitely can't see why one would get upset over them!). Even between Spanish speaking countries.

That's probably why we all like to jump on any "spanish phrases" threads that start here

Answer 2

This is a good question. I think what you are describing are idioms. They are common to every language and are usually unique to that language. They can not be translated word for word. For that reason, they usually need to be memorized. However, I would not spend a lot of time doing that. I think it is more helpful to listen to general conversations and see which phrases are most popular and useful to your needs.

You can usually find several books of Spanish Idioms in the language section of most book stores. Also, if you look up a word in the dictionary on this site, it will give you idioms pertaining to that word.

It is an interesting topic and fascinating to hear some of the expressions that have become popular in the Spanish language over time.

Answer 3

My concern is that I don´t want to wear blinders from preconceived notions that I have learned in my own language. If I want to drop phrases I suppose I had best memorize them in their entirety, correct?

Answer 4

I've come across a site that's got some nice lists on it sorted by topic that might be a good resource for you. I thought I'd link to it rather than just copy 'n paste a load into here, as it looks like they've put a fair chunk of work into it, so go check it out. Use the dropdown box at the top to jump to a section.

http://www.lingolex.com/swom/index.htm

Answer 5

In my experience, about 80% of sayings translated directly will not be understood. I wouldn't even bother trying unless you have heard the Spanish saying before.