necesito ayuda con usos especiales de los tiempos

Question

ok guys.... i need to translate these into spanish, and they're hard and they are exceptions, so i need a spanish grammar teacher or a fluent/ native speaker... i did some, but im not sure if they are correct, and i need help on the others... thanks in advance for your help!

ok, here goes.....
I've lived in Colorado for five years. ---|> Hace cinco anos que vivo en Colorado.
I've been studying Spanish for over three years. ---|> Hace mas que tres anos que estudio espanol.
They've been waiting for me for half an hour. ---|> Hace media hora que me esperan.
I had studied French for two years before beginning to study spanish. Hacia dos anos que estudiaba frances antes de comenso a estudiar espanol.
My family had had that car for ten years before buyng this one. ---|> im lost on this puppy! lets see... Hacia diez anos que mi familia ese coche tentendria antes de comprado este coche.
He's been going out with her for two months. ---|> Hace dos meses que el sale con ella.

there are more, but im good with this for now =D thanks again!

Answer 1

wow! thank you so much! i actually think im starting to get this now!! GRACIAS!!

Answer 2

Here we go:
I've lived in Colorado for five years. you can also say: He vivido en Colorado por 5 anos.
I've been studying Spanish for over three years. one mistake: Hace mas de tres anos que estudio espanol. Use "de" no "que", is completely wrong.
They've been waiting for me for half an hour. It's OK.
I had studied French for two years before beginning to study spanish. Hace dos anos que estudio Frances, antes estaba estudiabdo espanol.
My family had had that car for ten years before buyng this one. Mi familia ha tenido ese carro por ( o desde hace ) 10 anos, antes de comprar este.
He's been going out with her for two months. It's OK.
Well, I am going to tell you something that you already know, but you know that when you are going to translate some sentece to another language people always try to translate word by word, and in the same time that it was written, but this not always works.
I think you did the first one remarkable good, because you translate a sentence in english that was in present perfect ( I have lived ...) to spanish in Present ( Modo Indicativo) without loose the real meaning. That is excelent, you know. Congratulation.
El Presente Modo Indicativo en espanol, tiene cinco sentidos diferentes:
1.- Presente historico: cuando dices por ejemplo:
Simon Bolivar nace en Caracas en 1787.
El verbo nacer, esta en presente Tu naces, el nace,... no en pasado " el nacio". Es decir, la oracion esta en tiempo presente pero referida a un hecho historico que ocurrio en el pasado.
Simon Bolivar nacio en Caracas en 1787.
2.- Futuro. Ejemplo:
Maria viene el proximo lunes de Mexico.
El verbo "venir" esta en presente, Yo vengo, Tu vienes , ella viene...sin embargo la oracion esta referida a un hecho que ocurrira en el futuro.
3.- Para expresar verdades universales. Ejemplo:
El agua hierve a 100 grados centigrados.
4.- acciones que se realizan habitualmente, cotidianamente. Ejemplo.
Voy al cine todos los sabados en la noche.
5.- Acciones que suceden en el mismo tiempo en que se hablan. Ejemplo:
Ahora, quiero acostarme.
Espero que te haya servido de ayuda en algo.
Rebeca.

Answer 3

well, all except for the middle two

Answer 4

Wow, sounds remarkably familiar:
Irish? Check.
God's gift? Check.
Bad teacher? Check.
Crazy? Check.

Answer 5

He vivido en Colorado durante cinco años.
He estado/Estuve estudiando español durante más de tres años.
Ellos han estado esperándome durante media hora.
He estudiado francés durante dos años antes de comenzar a estudiar español.
Mi familia tuvo aquel coche durante diez años antes de comprar éste.
ÿl ha estado saliendo con ella durante dos meses.

Answer 6

thanks... as for my spanish teacher.... well, we take bets!

Answer 7

she from like, ireland or scandinavia or something like that... actually, i have no clue where she says shes from, but shes NOT a native speaker, and she thinks that shes like, God's gift to foreign languages b/c she was a romance language major, but most of the things that she teaches us, people dont actually use in really conversation, so sometimes i say things in spanish that seem weird to the native speaker becuase SHE taught me it.... lol, sorry bout that, kinda a rant... lol, but thanks for your input.. at least i know im not crazy!

Answer 8

lol, actually, i think that you're right.. im not sure if the tenido translates, but i think it is supposed to be "antes de comprar este"... thanks for your help!!!

Answer 9

thats what i did the first time that i tried this wkst... He vivido en Colorado por cinco años. She asid that it was COMPLETELY wrong and that i have to redo the worksheet... i swear to god, she is a complete idiota! man she gets on my nerves!!! so do you which on is more grammatically correct''? which do people actually use in conversation''

Answer 10

For the first one:
Hace cinco años que vivo en Colorado.
This is good. You could also say:
He vivido en Colorado por cinco años.

Answer 11

'I had studied French for two years before beginning to study spanish. Hacia dos anos que estudiaba frances antes de comenso a estudiar espanol.' - I think it should be Comenzar after 'antes de'

(for the tough-puppy one..) -
Mi familia habia poseido ese coche por diez anos antes de comprar este...(sound about right')
or habia tenido..(not sure if this translates)?

I think you have the hang of it though....not sure if i do !