interpretation topic transferred
help interpret please
draculichdom
Posted: 20 April 2009 07:11 PM
Joined 2009-04-20
i am wondering what forum i should use for help interpreting correspondences so i can communicate better and easier with my non-English speaking friend at work. there is also a method i would like used to help guide me along if nobody minds.
i am only having difficulty because there are too many variables for one word to mean something within a sentence to which i have no understanding of its structure. i mostly just guess and move along, hoping my guess is right or within the ballpark. guessing doesn't help me much along the lines of trying to learn Spanish (and teach my friend English in the process).
no es dificil para mi ense(n)ar ingles, pero es dificil para mi estudio espa(n)ol.
i don't know how to use the ~ over the n so i just put them in (). im not great at spanish and can only use the limited words i do know and piece them to make a somewhat tangible/coherent sentence. they understand me well enough, but its not much in the way of actual communication to which we desire.
draculichdom
Posted: 20 April 2009 07:26 PM [ # 1 ]
Joined 2009-04-20
need help with words like 'que paso? and 'eche?
do they have alternative meanings or does it depend entirely on the sentence structure?
draculichdom
Posted: 20 April 2009 07:58 PM [ # 2 ]
Joined 2009-04-20
ok well i tried translating this on my own with no success. it makes less sense in English than it originally did in Spanish. can someone help translate this into English so it makes sense please? (i am going to type it word for word as it is written):
Te escribo porque ya ley tu carta y dice muchas cosas muy bonitas y tambien porque ques lo que paso
con mi mama fue un dolor para todos nosotrus pero le digo que le eche ganas por ella pero cambiando
la platica eres un chavo bien lindo y te estas ganand (or ganano - i cant really tell) mii corazon
con tus detalles y sirve (or sirue - again cant tell) asi porque tienes un corazon super eres un
amigo lindo y te quiero y sige asi tan lindo
thats the letter in full and some of these words are not even in the dictionary here or in the one next to me (the oxford spanish dictionary with over 500,000 translations) such as que paso, ganand or ganano, sirve or sirue, and sige?
Posted: 21 April 2009 12:29 AM [ Report ] [ Ignore ] [ # 3 ]
Sr. Member
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Total Posts: 1117
Joined 2008-07-19
First of all, post the communication and your translation of it in the proofreading category.
hold Left ALT key and type 164 on the keypad for ñ. (simple but inefficient method)
no es dificil para mi ense(n)ar ingles, pero es dificil para mi estudio espa(n)ol
A mí, no es difícil enseñar inglés, pero es difícil estudiar español.
The reason you are having a hard time finding some of the words in the dictionary is that it lists verb infinitives and you are trying to look up conjugated forms of the verb. Also your note contains a few misspelled word.
Te escribo porque ya leí tu carta y dice muchas cosas muy bonitas y también porque ques lo que pasó
con mi mamá fue un dolor para todos nosotros pero le digo que le eche ganas por ella
Pero cambiando la plática eres un chavo bien lindo y te estás ganando mi corazón
con tus detalles y sirve así porque tienes un corazón super. Eres un
amigo lindo y te quiero y sigue así tan lindo
the sirve/sigue así is wrong or I'm not understanding it.
Anyway try to translate it and post your attempt under proofreading.
And read Mander's reply below. Tell your friend to use proper punctuation and your translation/comprehension attempts will be much easier.
echar ganas is an idiom and they are sometimes harder to find the meaning for. I could not find it in our dictionary under ganas or echar, but when I googled it I found an article that translates it.
google article
draculichdom
Posted: 21 April 2009 07:03 PM [ # 4 ]
Joined 2009-04-20
sr member:
thank you for the directions and informative instructions. I take it that any and all 'special? letters require a 'left alt + number sequence? in which you are right in mentioning its an ineffective method. true it may be simple, but having to remember which sequence provides which letter/symbol can be difficult, especially when there is no 'list? or directions for them.
does anyone here know where i can access this list or have one available?
4 Answers
Te escribo porque ya leí tu carta y dice muchas cosas muy bonitas y
I am writing to you because I already read your letter and it says very nice (pretty) things and
también porque que lo que pasó con mi mamá fue un dolor para todos
also because [color=blue]what happened with my mother was a pain (sorrow) for all[/color]
nosotros pero le digo que le eche ganas por ella
**of us but I am telling you that [color=blue]I kept strong for her (in her benefit)
**
Pero cambiando la plática eres un chavo bien lindo y te estás ganando
But changing the subject (conversation) you are a [color=blue]good guy and you are winning [/color]
mi corazón con tus detalles y sirve así porque tienes un corazón super.
my heart with your details and [color=blue]that's because you have a big heart.[/color]
Eres un amigo lindo y te quiero y sigue así tan lindo
You are a lovely friend and I love you and continue [color=blue]like this/that way[/color]
Wait for a native. Maybe they can figure out the parts that I can't understand.
here is my attempt at interpreting the letter:
you write each other by rule your letter has many happy things and was very beautiful and also the art (que paso) with my mother to be the one in pain for all of us but to say what you (eche) wish for her but exchanging a chat to be a beautiful and good guy and you these (ganand/ganano) my heart with your beautiful gifts and (sirve) like that because to have a heart super to be a beautiful friend and you want (sige) like that so beautiful.
ok thats by best shot and makes very little sense (not to mention the "misspelled words" above)
Te escribo porque ya leí tu carta y dice muchas cosas muy bonitas y
I am writing to you because I already read your letter and it says very nice (pretty) things and
también porque que lo que pasó con mi mamá fue un dolor para todos
also because that which happened with my mother was a pain (sorrow) for all
nosotros pero le digo que le eche ganas por ella
of us but I am telling her that it does a lot for her **(without more context that may not be correct). The **le's are ambiguous as I don't know the antecedents. The antecedent is probably her. It is not you since the author is using the informal tone with you).
Pero cambiando la plática eres un chavo bien lindo y te estás ganando
**But changing the subject (conversation) you are a very pretty(guapo o agradable)boy and you are winning **
mi corazón con tus detalles y sirve así porque tienes un corazón
my heart with your details and (don't uderstand) so (in that manner) because you have a super heart.
super.
Eres un amigo lindo y te quiero y sigue así tan lindo
**You are a lovely friend and I love you and continue thusly so lovely **(don't understand)
Wait for a native. Maybe they can figure out the parts that I can't understand.
sr member:
thank you for the directions and informative instructions. I take it that any and all 'special? letters require a 'left alt + number sequence? in which you are right in mentioning its an ineffective method. true it may be simple, but having to remember which sequence provides which letter/symbol can be difficult, especially when there is no 'list? or directions for them.
does anyone here know where i can access this list or have one available?
I'm PMing you a list, but I suggest that you install a keyboard (usually provided for free with your OS) capable of making the Spanish characters. The are many posts here on how to do that and instructions in the Reference section. Also on the list is a link to a slideshow that I made that shows how to enable the US International keyboard in Windows Vista or XP if you choose that keyboard.
here is my attempt at interpreting the letter:
you write each other by rule your letter has many happy things and was very beautiful and also the art (que paso) with my mother to be the one in pain for all of us but to say what you (eche) wish for her but exchanging a chat to be a beautiful and good guy and you these (ganand/ganano) my heart with your beautiful gifts and (sirve) like that because to have a heart super to be a beautiful friend and you want (sige) like that so beautiful.
ok thats by best shot and makes very little sense (not to mention the "misspelled words" above)
