Way - Right and Wrong

Question

I was trying to 'think in Spanish' while I was out walking and got stuck on 'the wrong way'. Now, a search reveals that specific question was asked two years ago and there seem to be a number of answers. But it occurred to me that English uses this phrase in two different contexts;

'You are going the wrong way' (meaning in the wrong direction although there is another, far less likely meaning!). Would 'camino equivocado' be acceptable here? The original question came up with 'sentido contrario', which sounds good too.

Then there is 'you are doing that the wrong way'. Could that be translated as 'lo haces de manera equivocada'?

'Anyway' is frequently used as a sort of conjunction in English meaning something like 'putting that aside, let me say this ...'. But the dictionary suggestion - de todos modos - sounds very literal to me. Would a Spanish speaker use 'de todos modos' in exactly the same way as 'anyway' tends to be used in English?

Answer 1

Thanks - interesting that you use 'por' in the first translation. Would 'sentido' also be used?

Maybe Benz or another native speaker could weigh in, but I would think that sentido contrario would be more along the lines of the opposite direction

Estás yendo en sentido contrario - You are going in the opposite/other direction

Right... using "el sentido contrario" gives you just two directions to take... north or south, but "en la dirección equivocada" (dirección sounds better than sentido here) could be North, south, east or west :) Good point Izanoni1!! - Benz, FEB 28, 2010

Yes - makes sense; contrario is 'opposite' rather than 'wrong'! - Jespa, FEB 28, 2010

Answer 2

Anyway = de todos modos

.

Yes, we use it the same way.

Example:

Anyway, we finally found a plumber who could come right over.

De todos modos (o de todas maneras), encotramos un plomero que pudo venir de inmediato.

.

It was raining but they played the game anyway.

Llovía, pero de todos modos jugaron el partido

Well, well! That's great as I am rather fond of that word en inglés! Thanks. - Jespa, FEB 28, 2010

Me too!!! jaja - Benz, FEB 28, 2010

Answer 3

'You are going the wrong way' (meaning in the wrong direction...)

Estás yendo por un camino equivocado

Estás yendo en la dirección equivocada

Thanks - interesting that you use 'por' in the first translation. Would 'sentido' also be used? - Jespa, FEB 28, 2010

You can say..."Vas en el sentido opuesto" o "Estás yendo en el sentido opuesto" o "en el sentido equivocado" - Benz, FEB 28, 2010