Are there any Compound Nouns in Spanish?

Question

Are there any Compound Nouns in Spanish?

I mean nouns that are made from two other nouns.

Examples: Dustman - housewife - headache - mealtime - weather forecast etc.

Also are there any phrasal verbs in Spanish?

Also are there more verbs in Spanish than in English?

Just wondering.

Answer 1

Spanish compound nouns are usually made from a verb and a noun, like can opener. I can't think of any words made by joining two nouns.

Many Spanish verbs require specific prepositions in certain constructs, but I don't think these are called phrasal verbs.

Answer 2

Palabra compuesta

Yes. While a compound noun is a noun made up of two (or more) words, your requirement that they be made up of two nouns may limit the number but they are out there.

spider web : telaraña

street entrance : bocacalle

Body worker ... panel beater ... hojalatero - LateToDinner, Oct 7, 2010

Thank you Nila. I had to see what you fixed. Tel a raña, gracias. - LateToDinner, Oct 7, 2010

Bocamanga ... cuff - LateToDinner, Oct 7, 2010

patitieso ... gobsmacked ... tickled my fancy but doesn't count ... looks like a pair of adjectives rather than nouns. - LateToDinner, Oct 7, 2010

Nay, that's a noun+adjective: "pata + tieso" = patitieso - bill1111, Oct 7, 2010

Answer 3

cuentagotas- verb + noun

guardameta- verb + noun

romperredes- verb + noun

cazarrecompenzas- verb+ noun

cortafueegos- verb + noun

cascanueces- verb + noun

rompecorazones- verb + noun

sacapunta- verb + noun

limpiavidrios- verb + noun

And radiotelégrafo, radioaficionado are noun + noun

Are these noun+noun compounds Nila? - ian-hill, Oct 7, 2010

Sorry, only several of them are noun + noun. I have edited the difference. - nila45, Oct 7, 2010

Most of theinitial words i the noun¡+noun list are adjectives or prepositions acting as adjectives. Radioaficianado is the only exception. - lorenzo9, Oct 7, 2010

Answer 4

I don't think anything can beat German for compund words:

Generalstaatsverordnetenversammlungen.

Alterthumswissenschaften.

Kinderbewahrungsanstalten.

Unabhaengigkeitserklaerungen.

Wiedererstellungbestrebungen.

Waffenstillstandsunterhandlungen.

(Taken from Mark Twain's, "The Awful German Language")

They are the World Champions at that. Probably why English also has so many. - ian-hill, Oct 7, 2010

Super, Mark Twain's quotes are the best way to get a good laugh. Thank you. - margaretbl, Oct 7, 2010

Answer 5

Spanish phrasal verbs

compound nouns..rompecabezas

Hi Quentin - I think if you have a closer look at the sites above it is difficult to find what I was asking about. - ian-hill, Oct 6, 2010

Rompecabezas - is a verb+noun - ian-hill, Oct 6, 2010

Answer 6

Can anyone answer yes - no - maybe ?

Yes. - LateToDinner, Oct 7, 2010

... to the title question ...can't answer the bonus questions .... yet. - LateToDinner, Oct 7, 2010

Answer 7

Seems to me we have only 1 so far.

radioaficionado

bocacalle is a good one? - margaretbl, Oct 7, 2010

Yes, it is - cogumela, Oct 7, 2010

And what's wrong with spider web? - LateToDinner, Oct 7, 2010

Nothing wrong with those 2 and bocacalle - so now we have 4 - Not very many is it? - ian-hill, Oct 7, 2010

Answer 8

I just learned one today:

los sacapuntas

the pencil sharpeners

I think "sacapuntas" is in fact a verb+noun sacar can mean "to make" according to our dictionary. - ian-hill, Oct 7, 2010

Answer 9

Hmmmmm...this is a tough one.

I looked online and only saw the combination of a verb plus a noun.

In Spanish, compound nouns are often created by attaching the plural form of a noun to the base of a verb. These words always look plural and sometimes even look feminine, but a compound noun is always masculine and is the same in its singular and plural form.

Abrelatas

Tocadiscos

Rascacielos

That is interesting (the "quote") thanks. - ian-hill, Oct 7, 2010