Juego de 'pero solo es una palabra'...

Question

Este es un jeugo. Pon un ejemplo de una palabra en español o inglés que puede tener dos significados, pero donde el otro idioma tiene dos palabras diferentes. Entonces, pon un explicación de cómo el idioma hace una distinctión entre los significados.

This is a game. Give an example of a word in Spanish or English that can have two meanings, but where the other language has two different words. Then give an explanation of how the language makes a distinction between the two meanings.

Answer 1

esperar : to wait, to hope

Espero a mi novio. I am waiting for my boyfriend.

Espero que él venga pronto. I hope that he comes soon.

Una chica hermosísima. - Daniela2041, Apr 11, 2015

Answer 2

Hacer – do, make

Why do we do the dishes and make the bed- instead of doing the bed and making the dishes?

Hmmm, usually make means you produce something, and do is to perform an activity that does not create something/produce an end product. But why do you produce a made bed, but not a clean dish? I am convinced there is some memorization here.

Make = create something thiat did not exist before - a made up bed. But the dishes / bed thing is odd. - ian-hill, Apr 11, 2015

To "do" the dishes sounds funny to a Spanish speaker. We usually "wash" ours :) - Daniela2041, Apr 11, 2015

Spanish says funny things too. Hacemos las maletas--for We pack our suitcases. - Daniela2041, Apr 11, 2015

I suppose one could think that one takes the components of a bed that were made in a factory- the mattress, frame, sheets, etc. and makes a bed out of them, whereas you restore the dish to the factory made condition, although you can buy individual dishes - bosquederoble, Apr 11, 2015

to make a set. It is amazing to me what our subconsciousness can do that our conscious mind doesn't understand. The difficulty of adult language learning is to convince the subconscious to do the same for the new language so the conscious does not have - bosquederoble, Apr 11, 2015

to think through the rules each time. A child's subconscious picks it up so easy, but not so the adult. Even though our conscious understands the why so much better. - bosquederoble, Apr 11, 2015

Answer 3

Corner - esquina - rincón

When you turn the corner you’ll see the restaurant. - Al doblar la esquina veréis el restaurante.

The boxes were piled up in a corner. - Las cajas estaban amontonadas en un rincón.

Answer 4

Mañana: tomorrow / morning

Explanation: mañana en/por la mañana = tomorrow morning / esta mañana = this morning / en/por la mañana = in the morning

Muy bonita foto. - Daniela2041, Apr 11, 2015

Answer 5

Chino: Chinese / Curly (hair)

Answer 6

Cachorro: Pup(py) / Cub

Answer 7

canto song, edge, pebble

canto rodado:

Answer 8

Puerta: Door / Gate (Puerto: Harbour)...

Answer 9

Key- llave

Key- clave

Key- tecla

Answer 10

Tiempo: Time / Weather...

Es el tiempo para = It's time for...

Hace buen tiempo = It's good weather...

And corrector. jeje - rac1, Apr 15, 2015

Answer 11

bote

trash can

bounce

boat

Answer 12

Reloj: watch / clock...

Reloj de pulsera: wristwatch

Reloj de bolsillo: pocket watch

Reloj de cuco: cuckoo clock

Reloj de sol: sundial

Answer 13

bakery

panadería, pastelería

Answer 14

Child: Niño / niña / hijo / hija

English uses an invariable noun for male & female children, & to distinguish uses the etymologically separate words, boy, girl, son & daughter... If I wish to talk about my own children collectively, there's no ordinary single word to indicate they are definitely 'mis hijos' without sounding rude or weird & calling them 'offspring' or 'progeny'

Answer 15

cobra

"cobra" is the conjugation of the verb "cobrar", in third person, singular and present tense.

"él cobra"

Also means the reptile "cobra"