How to say "both"?

Question

If I want to say "both the chicken and the fish look delicious", can I say "ambos el pollo y el pescado parecen deliciosas"?

It sounds a little funny to me. I'm not sure how to make it sound better and express that I am referring to both of them (while still naming the objects).

Gracias

Answer 1

If I want to say "both the chicken and the fish look delicious", can I say "ambos el pollo y el pescado parecen deliciosas"?

I don't know, I would normally say:

Tanto el pollo como el pescado parecen deliciosos.

I am not sure why you chose deliciosas, but you are referring to masculine nouns.

I am not a native speaker wait for more input.

Tanto el pollo como el pescado..... sounds good to me. - polenta1, Jul 31, 2017

Ambos can't be ruled out either. - polenta1, Jul 31, 2017

"Tanto el pollo......." is what I would have put. - Daniela2041, Jul 31, 2017

nice, good job :) - 006595c6, Jul 31, 2017

Answer 2

Elefantina:

It seems to me that you are using ambos as an adjective to refer, simultaneously to two individual things. I think the most common use of ambos as an adjective is when you are referring to a plural noun. Ambos hermanos, for example would be fine.

I have also just read that ambos should never be used with definite articles. So "Ambos los hermanos" would not be correct. Obviously, therefore Ambos el pollo y el pescado...is wrong as well.

Here is that reference from Butt & Benjamin:

The article is not used with it: ambas chicas ‘both/both (of) the girls’, never * ambas las chicas . Since it always refers to both elements, one should not say uno de ambos for ‘one of both’: uno de los dos .

Ambos also can be used as a pronoun. With this usage, if you have previously used two nouns and then later on in the sentence (or even a sentence later on) you can use ambos or "los dos" to refer to them. Bosque and Feliz gave you some good ideas. Here is another usage, based on what I just referred to.

El pollo y el pescado, ambos parecen deliciosos.

El pollo y el pescado, los dos parecen deliciosos.

Here we are using ambos and los dos as pronouns.

Ambos tacos parecen deliciosos.

Los dos tacos parecen deliciosos.

Here we are using ambos and los dos as plural adjectives.

I'm not a native speaker, so it is possible that ambos can be used as an adjective to refer to two things separately (as a group of two) (contrary to what I said before) as we sometimes use the word both in English, but I seem to remember from prior studies that it isn't done.

P.S. I am not saying that a plural adjective can never be used to modify two nouns. Obviously they can as in - Juan y Pedro son altos. I just think ambos isn't used this way.

Here's a link which seems to confirm my above statements.

Ambos

And here is a very good link which describes several, often better ways, to write Spanish with the meaning of "both" in English.

How to Say Both in Spanish

Good answer, Ken :) Typo Ambos AND (should be can) also be used etc... - FELIZ77, Jul 31, 2017

I crack up every time you mention the authors of your favorite textbook. I think of Beavis and Butthead. jejeje. - Daniela2041, Jul 31, 2017

Dani: I'm so glad I can amuse you. - DilKen, Jul 31, 2017

Next time I email them I'll let them know what their names remind you of. I think they'll get a kick out of it, although it probably won't be the first time they've heard it. :) - DilKen, Jul 31, 2017

Answer 3

Hello Elefantina

You asked:

If I want to say "both the chicken and the fish look delicious", can I say "ambos el pollo y el pescado parecen deliciosas"? It sounds a little funny to me. I'm not sure how to make it sound better and express that I am referring to both of them (while still naming the objects).Gracias smile

The two most common ways to say/translate the English word 'both' include:

1.ambos and ...

2.los dos / las dos ...(or ls dos if your sentence had referred to feminine nouns!)

Update to reflect Ken's new information:

You could say:

El pollo y el pescado paracen deliciosos or Ambos parecen deliciosos / sabrosos /ricos

El pollo y el pescado paracen deliciosos or Los dos parecen sabrosos / ricos

Also: Ambos platos parecen deliciosos or Los dos platos parecen deliciosos = Both plates seem delicious!

I hope this helps

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