Challenge - Spanish Verbs Requiring a Preposition - "Contar" y "Contar con + Infinitve or Object"
This is a new challenge along the lines of The Word of the Day and The Picture of the Day. However due to my other obligations it will not be daily but I will try to provide one as often as I can, although my work sometimes requires me to be away for a week at a time.
There are well over 200 Spansh verbs that have a different meaning when a preposition is attached to the verb. There are basically two formulas:
Verb + Preposition + Infinitive Verb
Verb + Preposition + Object
The prepositional form will be given and one of your sentences in both Spanish and English should use that form.
Your other sentence in both Spanish and English should address one of the normal usages (ie non prepositional) of the verb.
Today's Words:
Contar = To Count or To Narrate
- Conté como cincuenta delfines en la bahía ayer.
- I counted like fifty dolphins in the bay yesterday.
Contar con + Infinitive or Object = To count on ..... / To rely on ......
- Cuento con mi familia para cuidar nuestro madre enferma.
- I rely on my family to take care of our sick mother.
This challenge should begin to focus all of us, especially me, on those pesky little prepositions that can change the entire meaning of a sentence.
Stealing the wording from The Word of the Day (thank you rac1) here are the guidelines.
There are many native English speakers here, most of us can offer great suggestions to the English sentences. I will do my best to go through them all, too. For the Spanish sentences, edit your posts according to the native Spanish speaker's suggestions. Use today's Word of the Day in your own Spanish sentence (and include the English translation as well). Try to use the word in a completely new way and vote on the sentences you like best. The winner will be chosen based upon the correct use of the word as well as the number of votes.
Write sentences at least 4-5 words long, but don't write a paragraph either. Write your Spanish sentence, but include the English translation as well. Make the corrections suggested by other users and moderators in the comments section (try not to use personal pronouns unless absolutely necessary). Use your own words! (Don't use a translator, copy from a book, use song lyrics, etc.) Please keep political, religious or personal statements to a minimum. This is a practice game.
7 Answers
You could always count on the old man, who was more than 80, to tell the same stories he had told countless times before, and you could count on the fingers of one hand the number of people in the room who had not heard them, but what counted was that he was such a good storyteller that you could always count on having a good time and when the owner counted up all the checks at the end of the night, the bills for the tavern were paid, and truth be told, his admirers numbered in the hundreds, and I counted myself among them.
Siempre podrías contar con el anciano, que contaba más de ochenta años, que contara para contar los mismos cuentos que había contado innumerables veces antes, y podrías contar con los dedos de una mano el número de gente en el cuarto que no los había oído, pero lo que contó era que él era un cuentacuentos tan bueno que siempre podrías contar con divertirte y cuando el dueño contó todas las cuentas al fin de la noche, los gastos de la taberna fueron pagados, y a decir verdad, sus seguidores se contaban por centenares, y me contaba entre ellos.
I will count the times the Count of Austria counts his cards.
Voy a contar los tiempos de que la Conde de Austria cuenta sus cartas.
Contar conmigo, te ayudaré a contar tu dinero cuando la lotería te toque.
Count on me, I'll help you count your money when you win the lottery.
""Ella le centelleó a él una sonrisa."
She flashed him a smile.
El nuevo carro centelleaba, aún durante la tormenta
"The new car sparkled, even during the hurricane."
=D
Hay gente que puede contar pero no pueden contar conmigo en este respecto porque estoy totalmente ignorante.
There are people who can count but you cannot count on me in this respect, because I am totally ignorant.
Clara cuenta doscientos patas.
Clara counted 200 ducks.
I counted on the committee but they let me down.
Contaba con el comité pero me fallaron.
Hay tres tipos de personas, los que saben contar y los que no. There are three types of person, those who can count and those who can't.
Si quieres contármelo que puedes contar con me discreción. If you want to tell me about it you can count on my discretion.
