How do I know which words are necessary to use in Spanish?
I speak Norwegian so when I am translating my sentences into spanish, it is natural for me to phrase it according to how I would say it in Norwegian.
For example, in English if you're going to say: ''How can I find the bank'' The direct translation would be in Spanish: ''Cómo hago encontrar el banco?''
However, in Norwegian we don't say; ''How CAN I find the bank'', we say: How I find the bank? (this obviously makes sense in Norwegian and not English.) Therefore I'd write the spanish sentence like this: ''cómo encuentro el banco?''
How am I supposed to know if I'm supposed to include a word or not? Which way is the right way?
I'm sorry that this post probably doesn't make too much sense, but please ask if anything is unclear.
6 Answers
Every language has its word order. I've learned several languages in my adult life and here is my advice: The more you can think in Spanish and skip trying to make it make sense in your own language the faster you will just accept, that is how it is & this is how it is said. Go straight from Norwegian to Spanish and leave English out of it as much as you can (I know many Spanish courses are taught from English to Spanish). Because your English is at such a fluent level, I would imagine you began learning it at a very young age when you really didn't have to think about structure. You just learned it as is. Try to step back and do that again. Otherwise your brain takes too much time 'translating' - in 3 language no less, and the conversation will have moved on.
''¿Cómo encuentro el banco?'' = How do I find the bank?
¿Cómo puedo encontrar el banco? = How can I find the bank?
I'm unfamiliar with: ''Cómo hago encontrar el banco?'', so maybe today I will learn something new along with you.
Not sure what you are asking, but the only way to learn vocabulary is to seet and pratice especially with someone who can correct Reading will help you see them in context and it will be much easier to take note of them.
Forget the languages you already know.
¿Donde está el banco??
Spanish just asks : Var är banken. Sorry , I havent got the Norwegian alphabet installed, Swedish is near enough.
¿Dónde está el banco? but if you are not looking for any bank in particular you might say: ¿Hay un banco por allí? Is there a bank near here? Si hay varios cerca de aquí,¿Cuál quiere? Yes there are several near here, which one do you want? Quiero el banco Santander. Está en la calle Valencia. ¿Cómo se Llegar a la calle Valencia? Es la segunda calle a la derecha y el banco está al final de la calle. Gracias.De nada. So rather than say ¿cómo encuentro? I would say ¿Cómo se llegar al banco? How do you get to the bank?
The only way to know which words to use is practice.
I have seen many signs in CR that not the correct words in english.
Example:
"Toque el timbre......." and in english "Touch the bell......"
The correct words in English are "Ring the bell...."
I think we all have the same problem when learning a new language.
As for ''How can I find the bank'' this would be a text book question because I do not recall ever hearing this in the US (I don´t know about the UK). Common is "How do I get to the bank?" "Where is the bank?"
For Spanish as annierats stated ¿Donde está el banco? "Where is the bank?"
I advise you to use the English you apparently know when trying to make translations, it's clearly closer grammatically, although yet and still they are two different languages and it will often enough come out badly. Te recomiendo que leas mucho.... e se eu fosse você esqueceria de tentar traduzir.
