usage of word

Question

Hi guys

I have a question about the word usage. For example the verb to arrive, to come and to reach in English, they have quite different meaning and used in a certain situation. But I notice that the word llegar in Spanish has three meaning including to arrive, to come, to reach. Can we actually apply the verb llegar for those three different meaning or we do have another verb equivalent with "to come" or "to reach" ???

Thanks

Answer 1

Hello Dang,

Excellent question

Well, it all depends on exactly what you want to say, as to which verb would be the most appropriate to use!

I will give you some examples:

1.I hope (that) she arrives ( or comes) tomorrow.

Espero que llegue mañana.

2.They must reach the border by next Friday

Tienen que alcanzar (o llegar a ) la frontera para el viernes que viene. I believe you could use either alcanzar or llegar here.

Would you like to come with us?

¿Te gustaría venir con nosotros?

Please remember that the context is the key: you have decide exactly what you want the other person/s to understand by what you have said/written and choose the most suitable verb to communicate that idea!!

I hope this helps you

Corrijan mi español si es necesario, por favor

Hi Feliz thanks, well I guess then we have to understand it by the context, not bad though. Just wondering if one verb in Spanish could have three or four different meaning , then does it make Spanish verbs' quantity less than English verbs :D - danghuynh, Aug 6, 2016

Yes, many verbs in Spanish have many meanings such as coger: to take a train, bus , to grasp to seize, to get (ie understand)!! esperar = to hope , to wait (for) to expect these are jut two verbs :) - FELIZ77, Aug 6, 2016

Coger is more popular in Spain, tomar is used more widely in other Latin American countries . - FELIZ77, Aug 6, 2016

Dang, if by quantity you mean that one verb in English can have many different meanings eg to get , whereas in Spanish a verb will have fewer meanings , Yes that is true to some extent because the Spanish people are very direct in the use of language and - FELIZ77, Aug 6, 2016

Rather than use the same verb to mean lots of other things, use a specific verb For example , the word 'get' in English can be applied to mean lots of different situations whereas the Spanish people would use different verbs for these meanings to get - FELIZ77, Aug 6, 2016

Tô get (receive) = recibir , to get (understand) = entender , to get (buy) = comprar I hope this helps to clarify your understanding :) - FELIZ77, Aug 6, 2016

Answer 2

This may help