Palabra del día query, oct 3. ( meter)

Question

Our  palabra del día example Juanito, ¡no te metas

eso en la boca que estaba en el piso sucio!

Now: I would have translated this as: Juanito, don't put this into your mouth which has been in the dirty flat// on the dirty floor.

Clerly I'm wrong, but is it me that's this thick, or does it need re-phrasing? my wory isnot the floor/ flat but the fact it seems to me that the mouth has been on the floor, not the thing , whatever the thing is.

I hope you don't mind me asking.

Answer 1

Ask away, Annie. We're here to help!

Piso in Spain is flat or apartment. Suelo is used for floor. In Latin America, piso never means an apartment or flat but the floor.

In Spain, planta is used to designate the floor of an apartment building. "Vivo en la segunda planta" (I live on the 2nd floor). In Latin America, we use piso. "Vivo en el segundo piso".

So, the phrase on the Word of the Day exercise clearly states (in Latin American Spanish): "Johnny, do not put this thing in your mouth. It was on the dirty floor."

I hope this helps!

Thank you. I understand about piso and suelo, no problem, my problem was that I thought you had themouth on the floor! - annierats, Oct 3, 2012

lol... that's too funny.. that would be: tenías la boca pegada al suelo o puesta en el suelo - francobollo, Oct 3, 2012

Answer 2

Hi Annie - is this what is causing you the problem?

Vivo en el tercer piso.

I live on the third floor.

from my dictionary

sustantivo 1 (USA apartment)

piso

block of flats / bloque de pisos

no, Ian, it's the wherabouts of themouth, as opposed to the thing.. I know about piso, suelo etc. - annierats, Oct 3, 2012

I can't get over the word "block" to describe an apt. building in the UK. A block in the US is a street block. - francobollo, Oct 3, 2012