Learning Spanish: the awkward moments
Learning Spanish can, at first, be quite a daunting task. You are faced with so many situations that make you wonder if, what you have brought upon yourself really is a good idea. For example if it is so easy to mistake a spud from the pope by simply confusing "el" and "la" before the word Papa, then you have to wonder what other potential embarrassing moments are lurking in the unknown.
Another example: imagine you are taking a stroll in a park and you shout out of delight "look at that kite" while pointing to the sky. Now, this is a simple sentence but in Spanish you mustn't confuse "un cometa" a comet with "una cometa" a kite and send the entire park into a n uncontrollable panic.
It is these little technicalities that can send us into a minor state of paranoia whilst starting out in the realm of vocabulary. You begin to question the mechanics of the language... like if the conjunction "pero" means "but" then does "perro concordantly mean "butt"?
After much research I concluded...No, it does not.
And "estar hecho polvo" for your information does not mean you are made of dust. These are just a taste of the face reddening, bottom lip trembling moments you may have. Venture forth but remember "Culo" does not mean "Cool", "Gato" is not a delicious chocolate cake with a cherry filling and most importantly when you hear the word "Cerveza" say "Sí, por favor"
5 Answers
I couldn't pronounce the double rr and when I pronounced "perro," it came out "pedo." I'd walk around asking people if they wanted to see my "pedo" do tricks.
Well you can just imagine, the architect the client and the builder rolling on the dirt floor of the "obra negra" with shrieks and peals of laughter when I used the word "lujuria" when I really wanted to say " lujo" in reference to the luxury of the radiant floor heating system.
Someday we will get past these things!
Also learning english is a daunting task. Last year I thought that my english was of intermediate level. After I came to the real world and I noticed I was a beginner. It's very difficult to learn a second language, but I'm sure that's really a good idea.
I began to learn english with american students, they were my teachers. One day, I had to read an "American Haiku", it was: (It was writting this way)
The little worm
lowers itself from the roof
By a self shat thread
And when I read it, they started to laugh out loud.
Cosas que pasan. 
A friend and I were just talking about my garden.
She said that she no longer grows vegetables. I said, "las verduras."
She had lived in Mexico and said that "las verduras" there are cooked vegetables.
Don't you mean, "vegetales?" she asked.
No, I explained. My experience in Spain has been that when you use the word, "vegetales" to mean "vegetables" you get a funny look as it means "brain-damaged person."
It certainly is a daunting task, especially for me. I've been at it for some time now and just can't seem to get ahead. The reading and writing is getting better but then I try to carry a simple beginner conversation and blow it with the easiest of things. Someone please put me out of my misery. Oh, Dewclaw, I'm guessing you used a b in cerveza for effect, right?
