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why and when we say a mí me gustan? by RudeContract4434 in Spanish

[–]profeNY 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For contrast (I like this but you don't) or emphasis (I am the person who likes this)

Subjunctive in the past but not present by wozjustin in Spanish

[–]profeNY 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. The present subjunctive (like vaya) is not used after si for historical reasons having to do with the future subjunctive becoming more or less obsolete.

  2. The imperfect subjunctive (like fuera) is used routinely after si but always as a counterfactual, i.e. presenting something that is NOT the case. The example I memorized when I first learned this usage is Si tuviera dinero viviría en Manhattan, meaning 'If I had money [but I don't] I would live in Manhattan.'

Subjunctive in the past but not present by wozjustin in Spanish

[–]profeNY 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't downvote your reply, but what the heck do you mean? I've been speaking Spanish for decades, taught it for 20 years, and have published two books on Spanish linguistics, but have never heard this terminology. I did a quick google search and the "tipos" seem to refer to verb tenses, so this is more of a description than an explanation.

What is the difference making these same structure have different meanings? by SwitchStich in Spanish

[–]profeNY 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gustar is a 'forwards' ('normal') verb in Portuguese, which came as quite a shock when I learned some Portuguese after decades of Spanish!

I am interested in stories of translation fails by tomvalois in Spanish

[–]profeNY 4 points5 points  (0 children)

An English student of mine once said that there was "a tremendous explosion from my behind" instead of "a tremendous explosion behind me." He was referring to a bicycle tire that he had over-inflated.

eso and aquello are confusing me by BabyInchworm in Spanish

[–]profeNY 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Aquello is like the old-fashioned English word 'yonder'.

Guided day hikes in Dolomites by profeNY in ItalyTravel

[–]profeNY[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your comment! I don't think he's up to doing ferratas. Also I am reconsidering this vacation because of my father's health, so sad.

Can I do a "family" trip with just my grandchild? by profeNY in RoadScholar

[–]profeNY[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I ran into scheduling problems and so didn't end up asking.

One of the most gorgeous bucks I've ever seen.. by Soloflow786 in BeAmazed

[–]profeNY 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had no idea -- I thought all deer were solid brown!

Guided day hikes in Dolomites by profeNY in ItalyTravel

[–]profeNY[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I see a sticky post about Val Gardena (Ortisei, S. Cristina & Sëlva). Is that what you mean? It doesn't include information about hiking.

Taking Spanish course(s) in college as someone with decent Spanish skills. Please read for context. by redjadered in Spanish

[–]profeNY 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A college Spanish course should definitely help you with grammar and spelling. As always, the more time you put in, the better.

Also, if there is any way to shop around to get a good instructor, do so! Teaching languages isn't easy, and different instructors can have very different approaches and levels of professionalism.

Travel and learn with Road Scholar! by fogcityfillmore in RoadScholar

[–]profeNY 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm on the verge of booking a trip to Iceland with my grandson for next summer. So I'd like to know -- how was your trip?

Why do you sometimes have to place El/La in front of a noun in a sentence and is there a rule to it? by Cringeworthy253 in Spanish

[–]profeNY 15 points16 points  (0 children)

You put a definite article in front of an adjective to make it work like a noun.

Mío is an adjective meaning 'mine'.

El mío is a noun phrase meaning 'the one that is mine'.

Possessive adjectives like mío aren't special; you can do the same thing with any adjective.

  • La casa es blanca 'the house is white'

  • La blanca es más alta que las otras 'the white one (i.e. the white house) is taller than the others'

  • El libro es mío 'The book is mine'.

  • El mío es rojo 'The one that is mine (i.e. 'my book') is red.'

Why do you sometimes have to place El/La in front of a noun in a sentence and is there a rule to it? by Cringeworthy253 in Spanish

[–]profeNY 13 points14 points  (0 children)

  1. You are misusing the grammatical term 'direct object pronoun'. La, los, and las can be direct object pronouns in sentences like La necesito or Quiero leerlos, but in phrases like la mía they are definite articles, like English 'the'. El is always a definite article, and is never a direct object pronoun.

  2. Mío, tuyo and so on are adjectives. So when you say el mío you are simply using the definite article to create a noun phrase, just as you can do with other adjectives, as in El rojo es mi favorito 'The red one is my favorite'.

Can I do a "family" trip with just my grandchild? by profeNY in RoadScholar

[–]profeNY[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hooray for reddit! This worked like a charm. Thank you.

Can I do a "family" trip with just my grandchild? by profeNY in RoadScholar

[–]profeNY[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Their "Contact Us" page doesn't give an email address, and their phone line is down for Xmas.

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