La Palabra Del Día: "mascarón de proa"

Question

mascarón de proa ( mahs-kah-rohn' deh proh'-ah )

noun ( figurehead )

Welcome to La Palabra Del Día

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.

Guidelines:

Write sentences at least 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.

How to post a picture

Examples:

1: El barco tenía un mascarón de proa en forma de dragón.

The ship had a figurehead in the shape of a dragon.

2: El relámpago hizo que el mascarón de proa se prendiera en fuego.

The bolt of lightning set the figurehead on fire.

Hola Amber ,que tal ? - ray76, Jun 15, 2016

Good morning amiga. :) - Nickelbackfan1, Jun 15, 2016

Hola amigos. Muy bien. :) - rac1, Jun 15, 2016

Hola chica. Nice pic. Gracias :-)! - Jraider, Jun 15, 2016

Hola chico..Thanks. :) - rac1, Jun 15, 2016

Answer 1

A veces, cuando has acabado de comprar un nuevo barco y todavía no has tenido tiempo para comprar el perfecto mascarón de proa, es necesario contratar temporariamente a alguien para hacer el papel.

Sometimes, when you have just bought a new boat and still have not had time to buy the perfect ship's figurehead, it is necessary to hire someone temporarily to fulfill the role.

I would be interested in a native opinion as to whether mascarón de proa can be used for non-ship related uses of the English word figurehead. :) - bosquederoble, Jun 15, 2016

Jeje How is she attached? - rac1, Jun 15, 2016

En español solo se emplea en sentido naútico - 000a35ff, Jun 15, 2016

Thanks Astotxua- that is what I thought. :) - bosquederoble, Jun 15, 2016

Lol. - Nickelbackfan1, Jun 15, 2016

She's got a tough job :-)! - Jraider, Jun 15, 2016

Answer 2

Los mascarones de proa son figuras decorativas , relacionados a personajes mitológicos o religiosos para ahuyentar a enemigos y tempestades y para identificar el barco.

The figureheads of the ships are decorative forms, related to mythological or religious characters to ward off enemies and storms and to identify the boat.

Hola amiga. :) - rac1, Jun 15, 2016

... or to scare other ships :-)! - Jraider, Jun 15, 2016

Gracias amigos - porcupine7, Jun 16, 2016

Answer 3

En mi familia mi mamá no era la mascaró por poder.

In my family my mother was not the figurehead for power.

Typo: "not"... She was a strong woman. :) - rac1, Jun 15, 2016

Thanks Amber , well spotted , you are a mother obviously. - ray76, Jun 15, 2016

Hola ray. Have a badge :-)! - Jraider, Jun 15, 2016

Mother of a bird. - rac1, Jun 15, 2016

Answer 4

Hoy en día la reina de Inglaterra no tiene ningún poder de verdad, es meremente un mascarón de proa.

Nowadays the Queen of England doesn´t have any real power; she is simply a figurehead.

I think she has some kind of symbolic authority, but not sure. - rac1, Jun 15, 2016

Exactly. - mstivers, Jun 15, 2016

She also makes a point to stay out of politics :-)! - Jraider, Jun 15, 2016

Answer 5

Este rey no es más que un mascarón de proa para la venta de comida rápida.

This king is merely a figurehead for selling fast food.

I can't see the pic. Is it just me? - rac1, Jun 15, 2016

Better? - Jraider, Jun 15, 2016

I still can't see it. Maybe it's just me. - rac1, Jun 15, 2016

@ Amby...It's a king that sells hamburgers ;-)! - Jraider, Jun 15, 2016

Is it "The Burger King? That's a popular franchise in California. - Daniela2041, Jun 15, 2016

With permission I will try to restore the picture. - Daniela2041, Jun 15, 2016

@Rac I cannot see it either, but his sentence is still great. - Nickelbackfan1, Jun 16, 2016

Answer 6

¿Porque el subjuntivo aquí? " "El relámpago hizo que el mascarón de proa se prendiera en fuego."

¿Es "se prendió en fuego" correcto?

To whom are you speaking? Please add the English. :) - rac1, Jun 15, 2016

The second example given uses the imperfect subjunctive prendiera of prender - to set on fire. Since the sentence is a simple description of a past event, I think the use of the subjunctive is incorrect. - rhrisch, Jun 15, 2016

Wrong- hacer is a verb of influence- hacer que or causar que always take subjunctive. :) - bosquederoble, Jun 15, 2016

Even if it is a done deal, a fact that already happened: http://spanish.about.com/od/verbmoods/a/subj_reality.htm - bosquederoble, Jun 15, 2016

It is usually better to ask this as a separate question to enable us to give a proper answer. :) - bosquederoble, Jun 15, 2016

Muchas gracias por la explicación. - rhrisch, Jun 15, 2016

De nada. :) - bosquederoble, Jun 15, 2016

se perdiera en fuego weird. lo mas correcto ardiera, lo mas parecido se perdiera entre llamas o envuelto en llamas - 000a35ff, Jun 15, 2016