"I know about 500 words."

Question

Hello!

I have been studying Spanish for just shy of a couple months. When I get back to work after Christmas break, I know one of my bilingual co-workers is going to ask me how it is going. I'd like to tell him "I know about 600 words." Google translate suggests "Conozco unas seiscientas palabras." Would it be better to say "Yo se unas seiscientas palabras."? Or perhaps "Lo se unas seiscientas palabras."?

Welcome to SpanishDict. - rac1, Dec 29, 2016

Answer 1

I agree with the Daniela2041, but you mentioned you would also like to say that you know about 600 words. It would be, "Yo sé alrededor de seiscientas palabras."

Alrededor de can be used in this way to express around/about to describe approximation. Of course you can also say "aproximadamente", but the former is more colloquial.

Thanks! Was Google translate just wrong when is suggested "unas" for "about"? - Shelley_Lynn, Dec 30, 2016

Not 100% wrong. It translates more to *some 600 words* which also could be used for approximation, but I alrededor de is far more appropriate. - NuncaSeSabe, Dec 30, 2016

Thanks for that clarification! - Shelley_Lynn, Dec 30, 2016

Answer 2

If you really know them it's "Sé" (don't forget the accent) unas seiscientas palabras.

Answer 3

"Yo sé" or "Lo sé" in the case, or just "Sé"?

"Yo sé" or just "sé" is ok. You don't need the direct object pronoun "lo" here because you have the direct object in "seiscientas palabras." - Daniela2041, Dec 29, 2016

Thanks Daniela - I can't vote yet! - lenina, Dec 29, 2016

You can now. :) - rac1, Dec 29, 2016