Can someone help me with these Spanish phrases?

Question

What does: "para comer", "de comer" mean and how are they different from each other. How do you say a verb but in general like in english how we say something like: When you speak The you is generally speaking. When should I use the gerund apart from the present to be equivalent to the english "ing"? What tense/condition should I use to express "commands" and negative "commands? What tense/condition should I use to express negative actions in the future: eg. you will not go ? When to use 'the future tense' apart from the "going to do something: I will eat and I am going to eat. In English how we have "speaking" that can be used as a verb or noun eg.; I am speaking; Speaking is healthy. How do you say a verb as a noun like that? I appreciate all the help, thank you so very very much!! How do you say something affirmatively? like "you are great!", "you'll are great!"? Thank you all so much to who ever helps me.

Welcome to the forum :) - Kiwi-Girl, Aug 20, 2011

thanks! - mekamec, Aug 21, 2011

Answer 1

Ok so you have a lot of questions which are not all one sentence answers. I will answer the first 2 "topics" to get you going but your best bet is to split up this big question into little ones so more people will respond:

"Para comer" and "de comer" are for the most part, interchangeable phrases that mean "to eat". There are a few phrases that use one or the other though, such as "dar de comer" is used to mean "to feed".

Just like in English, you can use the you form of the verb to speak generally. In addition, you can use impersonal se with a verb to depersonalize the action. Finally, you can name "someone" as the subject of a sentence to keep it general.

Cuando hablas = When you speak

Cuando se habla = When one speaks

Cuando alguien habla = When someone speaks

Gr8 answer :) - Kiwi-Girl, Aug 20, 2011

Thanks! but can I also used the gerundio to say something generally? My teacher didn't say it directly but she said that the gerundio means, for example-"speaking" and "when you speak". Hmm, that is how I came to that question. - mekamec, Aug 21, 2011

Answer 2

Gerunds are those -ing verbs that act as nouns, so their use is not limited to the present.

Ej: Swimming is good for your health. (Swimming here is a gerund.)

English gerunds are not the same as the Spanish gerundios. The gerundios are what we call the present participle, and they do not act as nouns, just like their English counterparts.

Ej: He is swimming in the pool. (Swimming here does not act as a noun; it is a present participle indicating what one is currently doing.)

So how would I say "speaking" as a noun in Spanish? Just "hablar"?? Btw thanks a lot, that was a good explanation. - mekamec, Aug 21, 2011

Correct. Usually it's just the infinitive, but sometimes there is a noun specifically suitable, for example, la natación for swimming. But those are the only possiblities.:) - Deanski, Aug 23, 2011

Answer 3

When should I use the gerund apart from the present to be equivalent to the english "ing"?

Unlike English you should only use the present progressive tense when the action is currently taking place - right at the moment in which you are speaking

PS - the present progressive is the verb estar (conjugated) + the present participle :) - Kiwi-Girl, Aug 20, 2011

Answer 4

To use 'speaking' as a noun use the infinitive form - hablar.