Figurative use of "Echar" :)

Question

Hello friends

Over the course of my recent efforts to aggrandize my Spanish vocabulary I have come across and made a note of the following three expressions using the word echar in a figurative sense .. but I am unable to look up some good examples to discern their respective meanings ..

Request the natives and experts to kindly extend some examples for me and otuers to be able to understand the expressions properly ..

1. Echar mano (as per my understanding it means ,, to lend hand to help).
2. Echar mano a (I am confused on this one but as per a book which I have, it means to grab , but I am not sure in what sense.).
3. Echar mano de (I think it means to drain some thing like your savings but I am not too sure) .
4. Echar de menos a (As per my understanding ,, this means to miss some ine or some thing ..)

I already have run a search on the previous posts but could only find one, but it only addresses the first expression out of the four listed above,

So native friends please help me and others moving up the learning curve .. hehe .. thanks

thanks every one for the kind answers .. hehe - 00b055e0, Jul 30, 2014

Answer 1

This is a word that the Notes in Spanish people did a big report on. Here is a link to various[excellent] reports in case anyone here doesn'tknow them:

PDF link

I see Echar a suertes is to decide by luck

Amazing PDF my friend .. can'task for more .. hehe .. I just loved it .. - 00b055e0, Jul 29, 2014

can't ask* .. typo error - 00b055e0, Jul 29, 2014

That's a handy list. I printed off a copy for later. The other lists on that site look good too. Thanks, Mardle! - Findy, Jul 29, 2014

Answer 2

echar mano de = resort to

echar mano de = to make use of

to dip into one's savings = echar mano de los ahorros

echar mano a = to lay hands on

echar una mano a algn = to give sb a hand

to make oneself useful = echar una mano

Echar de menos (Esp.) = extrañar (Lat.Am.) = to miss (someone etc)

Thanks Kiwi .. I had a strong feeling that you will help .. hehe .. thanks again - 00b055e0, Jul 29, 2014

puedes ayudar me con unos cuantos ejemplos sobre la expresión "echar mano a" como entre los cuatros esta es la única qie no he podido entender todavía . hehe . gracias - 00b055e0, Jul 29, 2014

ésta** que ** .. typo error - 00b055e0, Jul 29, 2014

Kiwi, can you look at my answer, I really don't know and I haven't got good enough internet to sit and google endlessly. - annierats, Jul 29, 2014

Answer 3

1.- Echar mano (ayudar)

(Limosna) - Échame la mano con 5 pesitos (Pesos) para un taquito (Taco)....

*Échame la mano con la pintura y yo invito el chesco (Refresco - Soda) *

Pedro se ve cansado, vamos a echarle una mano para que vea que no nos olvidamos de los amigos.

2.- Echar mano a (alguien)

Échame la mano que me voy a caer...

3.- Echar mano de: (Construir)

Cuando tenga el dinero necesario voy a empezar a echar mano de obra a mi nueva casa.

4.- Echar de menos a: (Extrañar a alguien) (miss someone)

Echo de menos a María, ¡hacía unos moles riquísimos!...

Bueno intenté explicártelo bien, espero que me entiendas. Hasta escribí de más para asegurarme de que entiendas el contexto. Lo hice con las expectativas que diste en cada uno de los paréntesis de cada numero.

:) - FELIZ77, Jul 29, 2014

vracias amigo pero no sé la palabra "el chesco" .. y eché un intento a buscarlo en el diccionario pero no pude buscarlo .. por favor dime el significado de este vocablo .. gracias - 00b055e0, Jul 29, 2014

gracias** .. perdone ..hice unamfalta de ortografía :( - 00b055e0, Jul 29, 2014

Ohh Dios mío .. ve .. he equivocado de nuevo .. haha .. es muy difícil escribir utilizando un teclado táctil .. - 00b055e0, Jul 29, 2014

Como explicártelo... es una forma de decirle al refresco. En algunos lugares lo dicen pero no está muy bien que digamos. - GexThunderstrom, Jul 29, 2014

ohh ok .. lo eniendo ahora .. gracias - 00b055e0, Jul 29, 2014

De nada c: - GexThunderstrom, Jul 29, 2014

Answer 4

Annie:

La suerte está echada. = luck has been cast/dealt

Gracias, Chileno. - annierats, Jul 30, 2014

you're very welcome. - chileno, Jul 31, 2014

Answer 5

Hello Jimmy,

You may already be aware of these two examples ...but just in case you were not...I thought I would add them (Please forgive me if they are already well-known to you...others on this forum may still learn something from them! )

1.Echar de menos a alguien = To miss someone (idiom used in Spain In South America they would say: << Te extraño mucho, cariño.>> )

ex: La chica habla con su novio: << ¡Te echo mucho de menos, cariño! >> = I miss you, darling!

2 Echar un vistazo = To take a look (at something)

Ex: Estudiante habla con su profesora: << ¿Quiere echar un vistazo a mis frases, por favor? >>

I hope this helps

yes Feliz I have been through these expressions before .. as a matter of fact there are many .. for example : exhar una carta al correo, echar raíces etc.. hehe .. but you answer sure helped - 00b055e0, Jul 29, 2014

but your answer sure helped .. as a revision is always good .. especially for a tyro like me .. hehe - 00b055e0, Jul 29, 2014

Jimmy , thank you and for the vote, but I have added other examples, since you first wrote your comment :) - FELIZ77, Jul 29, 2014

:) - GexThunderstrom, Jul 29, 2014

I tried to add other examples but the post wouldn't submit properly :( - FELIZ77, Jul 29, 2014

Answer 6

Other possibility:

Echar:

Me echaron del trabajo. I was dismissed of my job

Me echaron de clase. I was dismmised from class

hmm - 00b055e0, Jul 29, 2014

dismissed from (not of) my job . i hope this helps :) - FELIZ77, Aug 12, 2014

Answer 7

I will answer with a question: La suerte está echada.

I would be very happy to have this explained to me, it's the name of a Spanish gameshow where the contestants have to fight mock bulls etc.

Does it mean: Your luck has run out? or: Your luck is in?

Or the luck has been allocated, even?? - Annie

I would translate it as 'the die is cast'. ' your fate has been sealed' or something along those lines. Ie. there's nothing left but to play the game and see how you go

thanks Kiwi - 00b055e0, Jul 29, 2014

:) - Kiwi-Girl, Jul 29, 2014

:) - FELIZ77, Jul 29, 2014

Brilliant Kiwi, how stupid of me, obvious, now you've explained it. Thanks amiga! - annierats, Jul 30, 2014

Answer 8

Echar a perder.To ruin, to destroy, to bungle or mess up.

No vamos a echar a perder las iniciativas para solucionar la crisis ecónomica que han hecho los políticos.

(We are not going to ruin the efforts that the politicans have made in order to solve the the politicians have done..)

Answer 9

Echar llave: to lock.

Thanks for the help with echar a suerte. Clearly that is a wellknown phrase or it would not be a good title for a Tv show.

Answer 10

I will answer with a question: La suerte está echada.

I would be very happy to have this explained to me, it's the name of a Spanish gameshow where the contestants have to fight mock bulls etc.

Does it mean: Your luck has run out? or: Your luck is in?

Or the luck has been allocated, even??

Good question Annie, let me think .. hehe :) - 00b055e0, Jul 29, 2014

Annie, Echar a suertes means to leave something to luck .. like to toss a coin to decide an event .. but in your sentence I think it means ,, to put tue fate/luck to test.. but may be Kiwi can tell better .. hehe - 00b055e0, Jul 29, 2014

Yes, That would seem right :) - FELIZ77, Jul 29, 2014

Echar a la suerte in Oxford Spanish Dictionary = to toss a coin so by extension you could possibly translate it broadly to mean: to leave something to luck :) - FELIZ77, Jul 29, 2014

Thanks Feliz, this makes sense, yes to throw a coin, to decide by luck/chance... Yes. - annierats, Jul 29, 2014

I would translate it as 'the die is cast' or 'your fate is sealed' kind of thing. - Kiwi-Girl, Jul 29, 2014