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Exercise: solo o sólo?

Exercise: solo o sólo?

6
votes

This exercise is about the usage of "solo vs sólo"

Please don't read other members' answers before answering yourself . wink

Please remember: you are only supposed to add the accent if the word "only" can be mistaken for "alone". Only then is "sólo" accepted. Read carefully wink

In some cases in this exercise you will be able to use both, alone or only...you have to explain why you did or why you didn't use the accent.

No native Spanish speakers, please.

Let's see how you do .

...............me quedan cien pesetas en el bolsillo.

No vayas ......................... a ver la película.

Me gustó ....................................la primera parte del partido.

Cuando me quede ........................., haré una fiesta en casa.

..................................... te digo que no tienes razón.

Antonio .................................dijo lo que pensaba.

..................................eran las seis de la mañana y ya estaba despierto.

Solo pido a Dios que no me quede solo.

Solo tú puedes conseguir esa meta.

1197 views
updated Sep 26, 2017
edited by 006595c6
posted by 006595c6
......... if the word "only" can be mistaken for "alone". - ian-hill, Sep 11, 2017
. . . or replaced by "alone." - AnnRon, Sep 11, 2017
oh...thanks :) - 006595c6, Sep 12, 2017
ann and Ian, why not give it a shot :) the exercise is difficult but you can do it, I am sure - 006595c6, Sep 12, 2017

12 Answers

4
votes

Solo, me quedan cien pesetas en el bolsillo. Lloro. Sólo me quedan cien pesetas en el bolsillo. Mejor salgo a robar otro banco.

No vayas solo a ver la película. Te va a dar miedo.

No vayas sólo a ver la película. Pásate también por la nueva tienda de descuento, y por el café Gekko, donde sirven un macchiatto espectacular.

Me gustó solo la primera parte del partido. (I'll leave this one alone, as it would be a bit of a stretch grin )

Cuando me quede solo, haré una fiesta en casa. Cuando me vaya, haré una fiesta en todo el vecindario. Cuando me quede, sólo haré una fiesta en casa.

Solo, te digo que no tienes razón. Cuando venga mi esposa tendré que decirte otra cosa. Sólo te digo que no tienes razón. Punto.

Antonio, solo, dijo lo que pensaba. Ya no tenía la amenazante presión de su suegra. Antonio sólo dijo lo que pensaba. No es algo escrito en piedra.

Solo, eran las seis de la mañana y ya estaba despierto. Acompañado hubiera dormido hasta las 10, al menos.

Sólo eran las seis de la mañana y ya estaba despierto. Y pensar que todavía faltaban al menos tres horas para que comenzara cualquier signo de actividad en el p

updated Sep 19, 2017
edited by Gekkosan
posted by Gekkosan
I didn't know we were allowed to alter the commas. :) - bosquederoble, Sep 11, 2017
Well, it's not stated in the "rules". I just realized that I DID break the rule of "no native speakers" - sorry. - Gekkosan, Sep 11, 2017
All the same, I think it's an interesting exercise, and perhaps we can get some further insight from native speakers, as I don't think this "grammar rule" is quite a clear cut an universally accepted as Heidita considers it to be. - Gekkosan, Sep 11, 2017
Not saying she's wrong, mind you... I just don't think there's strong consensus about this one. - Gekkosan, Sep 11, 2017
3
votes

....Solo...........me quedan cien pesetas en el bolsillo. I only have 100 pesetas in my pocket. (cannot be mistaken for alone without putting in a comma)

No vayas .......solo.................. a ver la película. Don't go alone to see a movie OR

No vayas sólo a ver la película. (Don't go only to see a movie, go only if you are going to do something else, too.)

Me gustó ........solo............................la primera parte del partido. (I liked only the first part of the game.)

Cuando me quede .......solo.................., haré una fiesta en casa. (When I was alone I had a party at my house.)

......Solo............................... te digo que no tienes razón. (I only told you that you were not correct. Not ambiguous, so no accent needed.)

Antonio .......solo..........................dijo lo que pensaba. (Antonio only said what he thought.)

......Solo............................eran las seis de la mañana y ya estaba despierto. (It was only six in the morning and I was already awake.)

Solo pido a Dios que no me quede solo. (I only asked God not to leave me alone.)

Sólo tú puedes conseguir esa meta. (You can only reach this goal.) OR

Solo tú puedes conseguir esa meta. (You can reach this goal alone.)

También excelente solución, bien hecho, echo, mira mi post al final smile

updated Sep 18, 2017
edited by 006595c6
posted by Echoline
3
votes

Very difficult. I have no claims to being correct. The one I picked with the accent I am sure can be done either way. Others I am sure can only mean one thing, there are a few I am a little less sure of but I put my thoughts.

........solo.......me quedan cien pesetas en el bolsillo.

I only have one hundred pesetas left in my wallet. Cannot be alone as solo.

No vayas ........sólo................. a ver la película.

Don’t go only to see the movie. Could be Don’t go alone to see the movie without the accent.

Me gustó ............solo........................la primera parte del partido.

I only liked the first part of the match. I don’t see alone working at all.

Cuando me quede .........solo................, haré una fiesta en casa.

With the comma, has to be alone- when I am left alone, I will have a party in the house.

..................solo................... te digo que no tienes razón.

I am only telling you that you are wrong.

Antonio ..............solo...................dijo lo que pensaba.

Antonio only said what he was thinking.

.................solo.................eran las seis de la mañana y ya estaba despierto.

It was only six in the morning and I was already awake. No room for alone.

Solo pido a Dios que no me quede solo.

I only ask God that I not end up alone. I think to mean alone (by myself) in Spanish it would be por mí mismo.

Solo tú puedes conseguir esa meta.

Only you can achieve this goal. For alone, I think it would be por ti mismo/por tu cuenta.

Muy bien explicado, buen trabajo. Mira mi mensaje al final, yo aceptaría también "sólo........eran las seis ..."

updated Sep 18, 2017
edited by 006595c6
posted by bosquederoble
3
votes

So... do we have a definite answer here? I still would like to argue my original post.

updated Sep 14, 2017
posted by Gekkosan
2
votes

....Solo..........me quedan cien pesetas en el bolsillo.

Can only mean: only

No vayas .....solo/sólo.................... a ver la película.

This one could be ambiguous.....I would not use the accent because it is a more logical thought that what he means is : don't go out only to see the film, why not go to dinner too?

However, if you feel it is not that clear...I am accepting "sólo", too.

Me gustó .........solo...........................la primera parte del partido.

Can only mean "only"

Cuando me quede ..........solo..............., haré una fiesta en casa.

Can only mean "alone!, please mind the coma wink

..........Solo........................... te digo que no tienes razón.

Can only mean "only" . You might want to argue: maybe he means he alone .... ok, but then we would also use the pronoun: yo solo te digo que ...., but the pronoun is not used.

Antonio ........solo.........................dijo lo que pensaba.

Can only mean only...same situation as the one above...if you wanted to say: Antonio alone said..., in Spanish it would be: Solo Antonio dijo lo que..., and then, once again, we wouldn't need the accent.

..........Solo/sólo.......................eran las seis de la mañana y ya estaba despierto.

Here one could think the following: Being alone, it was six..., he was already awake.

or: It was only six and he was...

I will accept both solo and sólo

Solo pido a Dios que no me quede solo.

Can only mean: I only ask.....not to be alone. no accents needed

Solo tú puedes conseguir esa meta.

No accent needed, can only mean only, same as a couple of sentences above.

updated Sep 26, 2017
posted by 006595c6
Thanks, in your one with eran, I would have required a comma. I took the commas present or absent seriously. :) - bosquederoble, Sep 26, 2017
2
votes

This exercise is about the usage of "solo vs sólo" Please don't read other members' answers before answering yourself . wink Please remember: you are only supposed to add the accent if the word "only" can be mistaken for "alone". Only then is "sólo" accepted. Read carefully wink

In some cases in this exercise you will be able to use both, alone or only...you have to explain why you did or why you didn't use the accent.

....Solo me quedan cien pesetas en el bolsillo.

No vayas solo a ver la película.

This example has the double meaning of alone or only ie: it can mean: Don't go alone to see the film or Don't only go to see the film. I have not used the accent here because both meanings are valid.

Me gustó sólo la primera parte del partido.

Cuando me quede solo........................, haré una fiesta en casa.

.....................................Sólo te digo que no tienes razón.

Antonio .................................dijo lo que pensaba.

..................................eran las seis de la mañana y ya estaba despierto.

Solo pido a Dios que no me quede solo.

Solo tú puedes conseguir esa meta

updated Sep 19, 2017
edited by FELIZ77
posted by FELIZ77
I will have to complete this another time ... I cannot concentrate on anything right now because some moron is making a great amount of noise driving his motorbike up.and down the same bit of road! - FELIZ77, Sep 13, 2017
I think I may have even accidentally entered Alba's post without even knowing what I was doing - FELIZ77, Sep 13, 2017
not finished correcting yet - 006595c6, Sep 19, 2017
2
votes

Now that this exercise appears to be finished:

The easiest way to determine sólo or solo is to remember that sólo is an adverb and means solamente. Solo is an adjective. IE: Sólo (solamente) me siento solo(a) cuando tú no estás.

updated Sep 19, 2017
posted by 005faa61
2
votes

Solo me quedan cien pesetas en el bolsillo.

No vayas sólo a ver la película. Don't go only to see the movie.

No vayas solo a ver la película. Don't go see the movie alone.

Me gustó solo la primera parte del partido.

Cuando me quede solo, haré una fiesta en casa.

Sólo te digo que no tienes razón. I'm only saying that you're wrong.

Solo te digo que no tienes razón. I'm the only one saying that you're wrong. (Or would it have to be "Solo yo te digo..." to mean that?)

Muy bien argumentado...claro, así lo diríamos, con pronombre , imprescindible si quieres dar a entender que es "I alone say that"...pero claro, si lo has escrito así, "solo yo te digo"...de nuevo queda claro lo que dices y no necesitas el acento wink

Antonio sólo dijo lo que pensaba. Antonio only said what he thought.

Antonio solo dijo lo que pensaba. Only Antonio said what he thought.

En realidad es lo mismo que arriba...para evitar el problema diríamos siempre: Solo antonio dijo lo...y de nuevo no necesitamos el acento

Solo eran las seis de la mañana y ya estaba despierto.

Solo pido a Dios que no me quede solo.

Sólo tú puedes conseguir esa meta. Only you can achieve this goal.

Solo tú puedes conseguir esa meta. You can achieve this goal alone.

I'm especially not sure about that last one. That way of saying, "You can achieve this goal alone" seems odd to me. I thought that anytime "solo" is followed by a subject pronoun that it means "only". It looks like I may be wrong about that if the meaning can be clarified with a tilde.

Aquí lo mismo de nuevo, we would not say solo tú...if we wanted it to mean : you ...alone...we would say: tú solo puedes ....

Doesn't the word order clarify the meaning though? Am I translating the following correctly?

Solo tú puedes conseguir esa meta. Only you can achieve this goal.

Puedes conseguir esa meta solo. You can achieve this goal alone.

Solo puedes conseguir esa meta. You can achieve this goal alone.

Puedes conseguir solo esa meta. You can only achieve this goal. (As opposed to some other goal).

Am I making any sense? I'm possibly tired and confused and getting a bit off topic. Buenas noches y gracias.

updated Sep 18, 2017
edited by 006595c6
posted by alba3
2
votes

Sólo

Solo

Sólo

Solo

Sólo

Sólo

Sólo

"Sólo" es decir "only". "Solo" es decir "alone". ¡Up! No leí bien las reglas.

Lo siento, bigote, no lo tienes correcto, ya dije: Leed las instrucciones wink

updated Sep 18, 2017
edited by 006595c6
posted by DonBigoteDeLaLancha
bigote, can you write the sentences??? - 006595c6, Sep 11, 2017
No leí bien las reglas..en efecto ;) - 006595c6, Sep 11, 2017
1
vote

The easiest way to determine sólo or solo is to remember that sólo is an adverb and means solamente. Solo is an adjective. IE: Sólo (solamente) me siento solo(a) cuando tú no estás.

Eso lo sabemos todos, julián, lo que no debe usar el acento en palabras llanas...eso incluye solo.

Naturalmente hablamos de la regla de la RAE, la Academia de Méjico dice otra cosa.

updated Sep 26, 2017
posted by 006595c6
1
vote

Please read gekko's answer, you will see a different point of view smile

updated Sep 19, 2017
posted by 006595c6
1
vote

Número 2:

“Don’t go by yourself to the movie.” “Don’t go to the movie just to see it.” Requiere “sólo”.

updated Sep 13, 2017
posted by DonBigoteDeLaLancha