h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The Language Thing is built up on guide entries. That's the only way to do it. You are writing in The Language Thing. I am a normal researcher just like you are.

and I have to go to bed now, good night

Good night. It has been lovely talking to you.

with your project.

thanks

You're welcome.

Para todos aquellos que sientan la necesidad de ayuda en cuanto al español, yo les puedo ayudar. Soy hablante nativo del idioma, y por lo tanto creo que una buena ayuda en su topico sobre el mismo. Asi que solo diganme, y les ayudo.

--

For everyone here feeling in need of a little help in spanish, I can be that help. I'm a native spanish speaker, hence I believe I am a very good source of help on the topic. So just tell me, and I'll help you.

great that you are here. I'll add you to the list of teachers. If it isn't done until tomorrow please nudge me.

Ok, I added your name already. Thought I'd better do it now, before I forget.

Welcome to the Language Thing!

As you see, this here is the speaking thread. You obviously got the thing about translating, so I don't have to explain that.

If you want to/have to explain anything about Spanish in more detail please go to the teaching thread for that. It's obviously not been used for a while.

Tav, I'll nudge without reason, if you want...

And yes, I've got the idea of the translation and all, and have spent a large part of my life in english sites trying to help people with spanish so there won't be so much a problem. Thank you!

Oh, and BTW, once I get a little more comfortable with the working system of this place, I could be the head of the spanish department, just give me sometime to feel myself in my own place.

that would be great, thanks

And I should now really try to get more people here...

I've stopped speaking Spanish now, so I'll leave you to it. Thanks for the thought

Indeed, you should...

You have a new member, a learner. You can find annie in the register thread, she's been part of The Language Thing for a while, I think.

I'm not a good usual-method teacher, I solve problems person by person, so my best way of teaching is by practicing... So, learners, let us speak here as often as you can and I'll just help you getting things in the right way and using all of the verbal forms of spanish in the correct form

Hola, parece que los únicos supervivientes aquí son Bel y Tavaron, todos los demás de han ido.

----It seems that all survivors here are Bel and Tavaron, the rest are gone.

Bueno, ¿alguna pregunta? ¿Qué tal el día? Yo estoy en casa ahora, no puedo trabajar , me hice una lesión muscular en la pierna, jugando.
----Well, Any question? How is your day going? Im at home now, I can´t go to work, I did myself a muscular injury in my leg, playing.

Hablemos the tópicos,
El tiempo aquí es lluvioso y fresco, no demasiado frío. La gente está contenta porque estaba todo demasiado seco y los embalses de agua casi vacíos.
---Let´s talk about commonplaces,
The weather here is rainy and cool, not too cold. People are happy because everything was too dry and the (don´t know the word for embalse, a kind of artificial lake to keep water) water reservoirs were almost empty.
***
In Spanish we use the word ¨tiempo¨ when you use three different ones:
weather, tiempo (meterológico)
time, tiempo (cronológico)
tense,(tiempo verbal)
***
False friends:
tópico is commonplace
topic is tema.
***
Venga! vamos a hablar en una de las lenguas más importantes del mundo, ¿no os tienta?

---K´mon, let´s speak in one of the most important languages o the world, aren´t you tempted?

Mar

Estoy aqui, Mar de vez en cuando, pero tengo mucha vergüenza
porque no hablo bien español a pesar de vivir aqui (en España) durante unos doce años - en parte porque mi amiga habla muy bien inglés y en parte porque yo siempre tengo problemas con las lenguas.
Por ejemplo, todavia no puedo diferenciar entre 'por' y 'para'...

This is what I think I said:

I'm here, Mar, from time to time, but I'm very ashamed because I don't speak Spanish well despite living here (in Spain) for about twelve years - partly because my girlfriend speaks English very well, and partly because I've always had problems with languages. For example, I still can't tell the difference between 'por' (for) and 'para' (for)...

Espero que tu mejores pronto.
I hope you get well soon.

Qué tal un poco de poesía?
Esté poema es muy famoso, se enseña en la escuela, bueno, en el instituto, es de José de Espronceda , un Romántico
---What about a bit of poetry?
this poem is very famous, it´s taught at school, well, at high school, it belongs to J. de Espronceda, a Romantic ( 19th century)

This author took inspiration on popular songs. I think you can appreciate the rhythm easily, better if read aloud.

CANCIÓN DEL PIRATA
Con diez cañones por banda,
viento en popa a toda vela
no corta el mar sino vuela
un velero bergantín:
Bajel pirata que llaman
por su bravura el Temido,
en todo mar conocido
del uno al otro confín.

(el estribillo, the refrain)

Que es mi barco mi tesoro,
que es mi Dios la libertad,
mi ley la fuerza del viento,
mi única patria la mar.

---Uf! I´ll try, it´s difficult:

PIRATE´S SONG
with ten cannions each side,
wind in stern, in full sail
it doesn´t cut the sea but flies
a bergantín* sailing-ship
pirate Bajel* is called
by her bravery the Fearsome
in each sea known
from one end to another
(refrain)
that my ship is my treasure
that my God is freedom
my law the strength of the wind,
my only country, the sea.
------------------
* bajel , bergantín are kind of ships.
Confín, end, is a literary term.
patria, country, is used with nationalist feeling, the pirate here lacks of it.
La mar: people say el mar, but most of the people who live near the sea use the female determiner.
-------------------------


Mar

Hi
nice to read you!

Por y para?
give an example, in context is better.
if not I´ll look for my grammar book and I´ll drop you a brick!
Dame un ejemplo, es mejor en contexto, si no, echaré un vistazo a mi libro de gramática y te soltaré un rollo!

pero tengo mucha verguenza"
mejor: pero me da mucha verguenza.
Tener verguenza: to have scruples, behave well.
dar verguenza( a uno/ oneself) to feel ashamed easily

Espero que tu mejores
espero que te mejores
Espero que TÚ with tilde (grafic accent) mejores could be used:
Espero que mejores en algo ---I expect you get/do better about something. Espero que mejores la letra--- I hope you improve your handwriting.
don´t forget we omit the subject pronouns (tú) because it is already in the verb form.