posavasos - singular?
Is this a singular noun in construction?
The coaster is on the desk.
El posavasos está encima del escritorio.
Is that right? What if you have two coasters?
Los dos posavasos-es están allá''?
P.S. My paper dictionary says a coaster is salvamanteles, but this dictionary says posavasos.
32 Answers
James Santiago said:
That was my first thought, too, but I don't understand the logic. The R in ropa does not sound like rropa (well, you couldpronounce it that way, but that's not the standard pronunciation) , so why is it necessary to use the RR when the R comes in the middle of the word?
La erre en ropa es vibrante múltiple, y suena muy fuerte.
Si escribes lavaropa, la erre suena como vibrante simple, y resulta casi incomprensible.
Guillermo said:
Lazarus, estás seguro de qué "parasoles" no es correcto? Tengo mis dudas. Por supuesto no significa que vamos a usarlo para protegernos de varios soles (a menos que viajemos a un sistema binario vía "Enterprise" (Star Trek). Pero si yo tengo dos sombrillas, por ejemplo, debo entonces decir que tengo dos parasol, o dos parasoles? La primera me suena bastante mal.
Bueno... en España desde luego, no:
*parasol.
(De parar1 y sol).
1. m. quitasol.
2. m. En el interior de un vehículo, dispositivo móvil sujeto sobre el parabrisas, usado para evitar el deslumbramiento por los rayos del sol.
parasoles.
La palabra parasoles no está en el Diccionario.
Real Academia Española © Todos los derechos reservados*
James Santiago said:
Natasha wrote: I don't think lavarropas uses the infinitive. I think the "r" in ropa changed to "rr" because it's now in the middle of the word, and it had to change to keep the same (rolled) pronunciation. That was my first thought, too, but I don't understand the logic. The R in ropa does not sound like rropa (well, you couldpronounce it that way, but that's not the standard pronunciation) , so why is it necessary to use the RR when the R comes in the middle of the word?
James, look in your paper dictionary (which you are always making reference to, when people can't spell things). There are not any words which start with "rr." Why? Because r at the beginning of a word sounds the same as rr in the middle of a word, a trilled r, so to speak. ropa, corre both have a trilled r. When single r is in the middle of the word, it is more of a tap, almost more like an English d than an r. I'm sure you know all this . . .
When a "r" is between vowels, as is the case of "lavarropas", "perro".. it has to double in order to sound as an "r" at the beginning of a word ("ropa"), that is a strong "r".
If it wouldn't double it would sound as a weak "r" (the "r" in para").
Natasha wrote:
I don't think lavarropas uses the infinitive. I think the "r" in ropa changed to "rr" because it's now in the middle of the word, and it had to change to keep the same (rolled) pronunciation.
That was my first thought, too, but I don't understand the logic. The R in ropa does not sound like rropa (well, you couldpronounce it that way, but that's not the standard pronunciation) , so why is it necessary to use the RR when the R comes in the middle of the word'
I would say "cubo". For me "recipiente" is something smaller and intended to stand on a surface, not in the ground. "Bote" is similar to "recipiente".
Natasha said:
I don't think lavarropas uses the infinitive. I think the "r" in ropa changed to "rr" because it's now in the middle of the word, and it had to change to keep the same (rolled) pronunciation. But that's just a guess.
And a good guess it is! It doesn't use the infinitive.
James Santiago said:
lazarus1907 said:
"China" also means pebble or small stone. Matasuegras suggests the idea of scaring your mother in law (for a laugh) with the party blower. "Perra" is a slang used in Spain for money.
Ah. As we say in the US, Lazarus, you da man!
Thanks for teaching me china, a word I didn't know (in that meaning). I also hadn't heard perra used as slang for money. Now they all make sense. I love these words!
Parasol seems to be an exception to your definition, since the noun is singular. And all the words that begin with para- are exceptional in that they use a preposition rather than a verb. Are there such words that use other prepositions or non-verbs?
You missed one very common one: lavaplatos. Well, at least it's common here. And lavarropas seems unusual because it uses the infinitive form rather than the third-person singular.
I don't think lavarropas uses the infinitive. I think the "r" in ropa changed to "rr" because it's now in the middle of the word, and it had to change to keep the same (rolled) pronunciation. But that's just a guess.
Thanks.
You're right: "parasol" is singular, but how many Suns are you expecting to stop? Hehe. 
In plural we have "pararrayos", but that's different.
"Lavaplatos" and "lavavajillas" are very common in Spain, and "lavarropas" is extremely unusual. I don't know why I added it (it exists, though). I am sure I missed a lot anyway; it wasn't meant to be an exhaustive list.
lazarus1907 said:
"China" also means pebble or small stone. Matasuegras suggests the idea of scaring your mother in law (for a laugh) with the party blower.
"Perra" is a slang used in Spain for money.
Ah. As we say in the US, Lazarus, you da man!
Thanks for teaching me china, a word I didn't know (in that meaning). I also hadn't heard perra used as slang for money. Now they all make sense. I love these words!
Parasol seems to be an exception to your definition, since the noun is singular. And all the words that begin with para- are exceptional in that they use a preposition rather than a verb. Are there such words that use other prepositions or non-verbs?
You missed one very common one: lavaplatos. Well, at least it's common here. And lavarropas seems unusual because it uses the infinitive form rather than the third-person singular.
lazarus1907 said:
There are many words formed with a verb and a noun in plural ("paraguas" being one of them). They don't change in plural, and they can be common to both genders if applied to a person. ...
matasuegras
...
matasuegras, that is very funny!
"China" also means pebble or small stone.
Matasuegras suggests the idea of scaring your mother in law (for a laugh) with the party blower.
"Perra" is a slang used in Spain for money.
P.S. I've probably added more words since you wrote your last post. Check them.
matasuegras
tragaperras
tirachinas
I know what these mean, but I'd love to know how they came to be.
James @ imagining flying Chinese women, machines that swallow dogs, and party favors that kill mothers-in-law
There are many words formed with a verb and a noun in plural ("paraguas" being one of them). They don't change in plural, and they can be common to both genders if applied to a person.
parasol
guardaespaldas
matamoscas
lanzagranadas
portamonedas
paracaídas
salvavidas
tiralíneas
montacargas
quitamanchas
sacamuelas
rompeolas
pasamontañas
tirachinas
portaminas
limpiaúñas
pintaúñas
portalámparas
matasuegras
tragaperras
parabrisas
portamaletas
limpiabotas
reposacabezas
rompecabezas
lavacoches
portaequipajes
pisapapeles
salvamanteles
rompecorazones
mondadientes
quitanieves
cortafuegos
espantapájaros
chupatintas
etc.
--Todos los paraguas deben ir en el contenedor al lado de la puerta. Favor de poner su paraguas allá, está mojado.
I would rewrite it as follows.
--Favor de meter su paraguas mojado en el recipiente al lado de la puerta.
I think contenedor is a shipping container. I wonder if bote could be used here.
