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"Semejante" is an adjective which is often translated as "similar", and "tal" is an adjective which is often translated as "such". Learn more about the difference between "semejante" and "tal" below.
semejante, el semejante(
seh
-
meh
-
hahn
-
teh
)
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
adjective
a. similar
Nuestros vecinos tienen intereses semejantes a los nuestros.Our neighbors' interests are similar to ours.
a. such
Nunca en mi vida había visto semejante desastre.Never in my life had I seen such a mess.
a. similar
Esos dos triángulos son semejantes.Those two triangles are similar.
A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
masculine noun
a. fellow being
Betty dedicó su vida a ayudar a sus semejantes.Betty devoted her life to helping her fellow beings.
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tal(
tahl
)
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
adjective
a. such
Nunca he visto tal pobreza como la de ese país.I've never seen such poverty like there is in that country.
a. such
Cantó con tal pasión que varias personas se echaron a llorar.He sang with such passion that several people began to cry.
a. such-and-such
Si prometes hacer tal cosa, tienes que hacerlo.If you promise to do such-and-such a thing, you have to do it.
4.
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
(colloquial)
(unknown)
a.
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
no direct translation
Un tal señor Martín ha llamado preguntando por ti.A Mr. Martin called for you.
Hablé con un señor del ayuntamiento, un tal Rodríguez.I spoke with a gentleman from city hall, a man named Rodriguez.
a. that
Nunca me pidieron tales datos.They never asked me for that information.
A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun (e.g., she).
pronoun
a. such
Es la jefa, y es importante que la trates como tal.She's the boss, and it's important that you treat her as such.
a. such
¿Hay una tienda por aquí donde vendan papel y plumas y tal?Is there a store around here where they sell pens and paper and such?
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