We wash the sand off our feet in the sea afterwards.
How do you say this in Spanish?
We wash the sand off our feet in the sea afterwards.
7 Answers
OK, I found out from my teacher what it was meant to be and although I think she is wrong here it is anyway: Nosotros lavamos la arena encima nuestros pies después.
OMG! Thank you sooooo much. That looks perfect.
MJ said:
Hi Katie,
From your post I'm guessing your teacher probably wrote: Nosotros nos lavamos la arena de nuestros pies en el mar después. (Her corrections in bold.)
Nothing against her linguistic sensibilities, but imo LadyDi's and Lazarus's sentences are prettier, more fluid, and more usual Spanish. For one thing, despite the fact that so many beginning Spanish texts start sentences with subjective pronouns when the verbs in these sentences clearly indicate these pronouns, native speakers use these subjective pronouns only for special emphasis. That is to say, a native speaker would not begin your sentence with, Nosotros.
The missing nos, however, which begins both LadyDi's and Lazarus's alternatives, is not optional. Lavarse is a pronominal verb, in this case a reflexive verb, since we do something to ourselves, we wash our feet.
Pronominal verbs keep their se suffixes. Se separates from the verb, though, jumping immediately ahead of it, and becoming appropriately conjugated in the process, along with the verb. In your sentence, lavarse conjugates into nos lavamos.
Next, the possessive pronouns tend to be avoided in Spanish wherever possible. Folks usually say, the, instead. A native speaker wouldn't usually say, nuestros pies, but los pies, as in LadyDi's and Lazarus's alternatives.
PS Laz and LadyDi, can you tell I've been reading this foro?
Katie Mignola said:
My teacher told me how to do it but I can't read her hand-righting on one word. It looks like this: Nosotros lvamos la arena ___|\___|_ nuestros pies después.
>
despues, quitamos la arena de los pies
Hi Katie,
From your post I'm guessing your teacher probably wrote: Nosotros nos lavamos la arena de nuestros pies en el mar después. (Her corrections in bold.)
Nothing against her linguistic sensibilities, but imo LadyDi's and Lazarus's sentences are prettier, more fluid, and more usual Spanish. For one thing, despite the fact that so many beginning Spanish texts start sentences with subjective pronouns when the verbs in these sentences clearly indicate these pronouns, native speakers use these subjective pronouns only for special emphasis. That is to say, a native speaker would not begin your sentence with, Nosotros.
The missing nos, however, which begins both LadyDi's and Lazarus's alternatives, is not optional. Lavarse is a pronominal verb, in this case a reflexive verb, since we do something to ourselves, we wash our feet.
Pronominal verbs keep their se suffixes. Se separates from the verb, though, jumping immediately ahead of it, and becoming appropriately conjugated in the process, along with the verb. In your sentence, lavarse conjugates into nos lavamos.
Next, the possessive pronouns tend to be avoided in Spanish wherever possible. Folks usually say, the, instead. A native speaker wouldn't usually say, nuestros pies, but los pies, as in LadyDi's and Lazarus's alternatives.
PS Laz and LadyDi, can you tell I've been reading this foro?
Katie Mignola said:
My teacher told me how to do it but I can't read her hand-righting on one word. It looks like this: Nosotros lvamos la arena ___|\___|_ nuestros pies después.
>
My techer told me how to do it but I can't read her hand-righting on one word. It looks like this: Nosotros lvamos la arena ___|\___|_ nuestros pies después.
I agree. Another alternative:
Nos limpiamos los pies de arena en el mar después.
Nos lavamos la arena de los pies en el mar después.
