G A M E - Double Meanings

Question

I thought I would start this game to help our friend Joygogo out.

How to play:

Make a sentence in English or Spanish using one word twice but each instance must have a different meaning.

Post the translation underneath.

Feel free to add a picture to keep the thread interesting.

If you get stuck thinking of Spanish words with double meanings then this link might give you a place to start.

Spanish words with double meanings

I'll get us started.

El viejito estaba sentado en un banco por el banco.

The old man was seated on the bench seat by the bank.

Cool, Kiwi! - rac1, Nov 19, 2013

Gracias, I hope you're going to join in ;) - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 19, 2013

Intriguing mi amor , aye. - ray76, Nov 19, 2013

Great game Kiwi!! - 00b5f6c6, Nov 19, 2013

Hola, Kiwi-Girl. The website for words with double meanings is exactly what I am looking for. Thanks for what you have done for me. You are so sweet! - joygogo, Nov 20, 2013

Kewl bananas, happy to have helped :) - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 20, 2013

The example sentence with the photo you gave here is very good! - joygogo, Nov 20, 2013

thank you :) I hope you're going to join in too! - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 20, 2013

Answer 1

Las esposas fue detuvieron en esposas.The wives were kept in handcuffs.

Ayayay, I would translate that as .... las esposas se mantuvieron en esposas. - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 19, 2013

Very impressive! - joygogo, Nov 20, 2013

At least over christmas.. - annierats, Dec 18, 2013

Answer 2

"¿No nada nada?" "No traje traje."

"You won't swim?" "I didn't bring my suit."

*Sorry, I probably messed this one up a bit, but I've heard it before and like it.

Well done, no nada nada means - Don't you swim at all? ;) - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 19, 2013

and you just need a mi for my in the last part - no traje mi traje - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 19, 2013

Good example, vevans; good explanation, Kiwi. - joygogo, Nov 20, 2013

Shouldnt it be "no nada nunca?", kiwi-girl? - LeGoodGuy, Dec 18, 2013

:)) - annierats, Dec 18, 2013

@ legoodguy. That wd work but it would mean don't you ever swim. Nearly the same but slightly different. - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 19, 2013

Answer 3

Se Fue a Madrid, la capital de España, y ha invertido invirtió todo su capital de trabajo trabajando.

He went to Madrid, the capital of Spain, and invested all his working capital.

Corrections are appreciated. - bandit51jd, Nov 19, 2013

Nice one Bandit, I'd keep both verbs in the preterite though, 'fue' and 'invirtió' and working capital is 'capital de trabajo'. - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 19, 2013

My suggestion: Fue a Madrid, la capital de España y invirtió todo su capital de trabajo. (although it sounds like there should be a bit more to it, like he invested all his working capital in such and such, but all good :) ) - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 19, 2013

Gracias, Kiwi! - bandit51jd, Nov 19, 2013

de nada :) - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 20, 2013

I like your sentence and I also learned from your trial and error. Thanks! - joygogo, Nov 20, 2013

One correction: "...e invirtió...". Me gustó el juego. Voy a pensar de algunas palabras de doble significado y escribo mi frase luego. - 00e46f15, Nov 20, 2013

Gracias sylyon :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 19, 2013

Answer 4

Perhaps too regional but in Colombia the speed-bumps in roads are called policía

La policía dismenue disminuye la velocidad de su carro cuando encuentre encuentra una policía

The police slow their car down whenever they come to a speed-bump.

Hey Jubliado, nice to have you join in :) How about ... la policía disminuye la velocidad de su carro cuando encuentra un policia (although as you say this is very regional and other options could be un tope or here in Nicaragua - un policía acostado) - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 19, 2013

Gracias, Kiwi, por las correctiones. - Jubilado, Nov 19, 2013

de nada :) - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 20, 2013

Thank you, Jubilado. Your sentence let me learn another special meaning of "policía." But how to cross out the original word in order to make a correction? - joygogo, Nov 20, 2013

Here in England they are ' sleeping policemen.' - annierats, Dec 18, 2013

Answer 5

Esos monos son monos.

Those monkeys are cute.

nice job, I added a picture for you too :) - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 20, 2013

With the cute photo, I won't forget this sentence. - joygogo, Nov 20, 2013

Answer 6

This is the season to present a present to someone you like.

Esta es la temporada para presentar un regalo a alguien que te gusta.

Nice to have u join in :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 19, 2013

Answer 7

Un hombre rico está comiendo un pastel rico.

A rich man is eating a delicious cake.

Su padre es Padre de La Iglesia.

His father is a Father of the Church.

El vaquero lleva vaqueros.

The cowboy wears jeans.

El gato es un gato de coches. Levanta el coche.

The cat is a car jack. He lifts the car up!

cat lifts a car

Neat. - annierats, Dec 18, 2013

Good job :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 19, 2013

Answer 8

El tiempo.

A mi, me faltaba tiempo para observar al tiempo.

I didn't have time to observe the weather conditions.

Bien hecho :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 19, 2013

Answer 9

Necessito un gato levantar el coche del gato. I need a jack to lift the car off the cat.

Or would it be, "Necessito un gato para levantar el coche del gato."? - jstackiv, Dec 18, 2013

Just in s in necesito and yes definitely with the para. - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 19, 2013

Answer 10

Esta muñeca no tiene cuerpo pero sí tiene dos muñecas.

This doll doesn't have a body but it does have two wrists.

(sorry the pic is a bit creepy really lol)

The creepy picture makes the sentence catchy. ^_^ - joygogo, Nov 20, 2013

The baby is staring at me..... - 00ffada9, Dec 18, 2013

Answer 11

Un camello haría un bueno camello en el narcotráfico.

A Camel would make a good (Camel) Mule in the drug trade.

Nice job Ray, that one would work with 'mula' too ;) I'd maybe just change the ending to "narcotráfico" o "tráfico de drogas" for 'drug trade' - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 20, 2013

Kiwi-Girl, I still don't understand what this sentence means. Does it mean "A camel can be a good drug dealer because it can carry the drug?" - joygogo, Nov 20, 2013

No a camel lo in Spanish is the equivalent of a drug mule, a person who for example swallows drugs double bagged in condoms, then when the get through customs and into the next country they pass the packages out and get paid for their 'delivery'. - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 20, 2013

A very dangerous and often desperate thing to do. - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 20, 2013

@ Kiwi , Thanks mate , I will not ask how it is that you are so aware of the "narcotráficos". - ray76, Nov 20, 2013

@ Joygo, just stick with Kiwi she the top-gun en el mundo de las drogas. - ray76, Nov 20, 2013

Kiwi-Girl, thanks for your clear explanation. l see. :-) - joygogo, Nov 20, 2013

Answer 12

Tendrás que esperar y esperar que me regreso pronto.

You will have to wait and hope that i return soon.

Nearly, .... y esperar que yo regrese pronto. - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 19, 2013

Thanks! If i had used volver instead of regresar, would it then be "me vuelve pronto"? - LeGoodGuy, Dec 19, 2013

Answer 13

Necesito comprar un bote de pintura para pintar mi bote.

I need to buy a can of paint to paint my boat.

barco might clarify the situation? - annierats, Dec 18, 2013

Then it wouldn't fit the game Annie, well done Deedeegill. :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 19, 2013

Answer 14

Al este de este país está China.

To the east of this country lies China.

Nice :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 19, 2013

Answer 15

No so long ago a singer would record a record and not a dvd.

No hace mucho tiempo un cantante grabaría un disco y no un dvd.

Are these pronounced the same, or as "produce" and "produce", or "read" and "read"? - comunacho, Dec 18, 2013

Should "DVD" be changed to "CD" since we are talking about songs, not movies? I could be wrong, maybe I misunderstand what you mean. =] - AlyssaLTerry, Dec 18, 2013

@comunacho, the first "record" is pronounced "ree-cord", the second "record" is pronounced "wreck-erd". - AlyssaLTerry, Dec 18, 2013

@ comunacho - NO they are not pronounced the same the verb has the emphasis on the 2nd syllable the noun on the 1st - ian-hill, Dec 18, 2013

@Alyssat - yep CD. - ian-hill, Dec 18, 2013

Alyssat's pronunciation is US English not Brit English. - ian-hill, Dec 18, 2013

to recORd and a rEcord are the Brit English pronunciations. - ian-hill, Dec 18, 2013

To prodUce and prOduce. - ian-hill, Dec 18, 2013

Good Ian I think you can get away with 'no hace mucho' the 'tiempo' bit is kind of superfluous. Hace poco is another option too. - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 19, 2013

@comunacho; heres another for u. Present: 1.(adj) now 2.(n) gift 3.(adj) not absent [all pronounced Preznt]. 4.(vb) show sth or gift sth [said priZent]. - LeGoodGuy, Dec 19, 2013

To all the club members past or present, who are present here, Id like to present a drama about a brave man who presents himself before a king without any presents. - LeGoodGuy, Dec 19, 2013

:) - ian-hill, Dec 19, 2013