daily-spanish-word - Tumblr blog

[daily-spanish-word]

bag la bolsa

Imagine a super sturdy and strong ‘eco bag’ made of balsa wood. Lifetime warranty!

I need to buy a bag of potatoes. Necesito comprar una bolsa de papas.

Picture by derriel street photography on Flickr

[daily-spanish-word]

bacon el tocino

Imagine a pig carving a slice off itself and tossing it into a frying pan.

Like the scene in the ‘Restaurant at the end of the Universe’ by Douglas Adams.

Tom ate my bacon. Tom se comió mi tocino.

[daily-spanish-word]

skin la piel

Imagine having experienced too much Spanish (or Latin American) sun: your skin begins to peel.

We peel the skins of fruit.

Do not judge others by the color of their skin. No juzgues a los otros por el color de su piel.

Picture by Ted Goldring on Flickr

[daily-spanish-word]

fountain pen, feather, plume la pluma

People used to write with a ‘quill’ pen before the invention of the fountain pen, that’s why it’s still called a plume in Spanish.

Please give me that pen. Por favor, dame esa pluma.

Picture by Ángel Raúl Ravelo Rodríguez on Flickr

[daily-spanish-word]

career, race la carrera

Think about racing in a Porsche Carrera, or being able to buy one because of your successful career.

The scandal was fatal to his political career. El escándalo fue fatal para su carrera política.

Picture by Alexandre Prévot on Flickr

[daily-spanish-word]

blood la sangre

Ever tried sangria? It’s also red. “Sangria is a typical beverage from Portugal and Spain. It consists of wine, chopped fruit, a sweetener, and a small amount of added brandy.”

“Sanguine or red chalk is chalk of a reddish-brown color, so called because it resembles the color of dried blood.”

His blood is boiling. Su sangre hierve.

Picture by TheCulinaryGeek on Flickr

[daily-spanish-word]

snake la serpiente

Like those snake-like paper serpentines (streamers) that people throw at parties.

Is the snake alive or dead? ¿La serpiente está viva o muerta?

[daily-spanish-word]

watermelon la sandía

Do you know somebody named Sandy or Sandra? Imagine her in a ‘sandía situation’, like with her head buried in a huge watermelon.

Or imagine watermelons being sandy: they have a surface that feels like sandpaper, and might come in handy for some work around the house.

I love the taste of watermelon. Me gusta el sabor de la sandía.

Picture by Esteban Leon on Flickr

[daily-spanish-word]

car el coche

(Spain)

Think about the car of your coach, or a famous sports coach.

Think of the car’s predecessor: a horse-drawn coach.

We got into the car. Nos metimos en el coche.

Picture by JD Hancock on Flickr

[daily-spanish-word]

city block la cuadra

Think of quadrangular city blocks, all having the same size.

My house is five blocks away. Mi casa está a cinco cuadras.

Picture by Seattle Municipal Archives on Flickr

[daily-spanish-word]

neck el cuello

Imagine the Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho been bitten in the neck by an overly enthusiastic fan with vampire tendencies.

A collar goes around the neck.

Her neck is very long. Su cuello es muy largo.

Picture by Blaues Sofa on Flickr

[daily-spanish-word]

candy, sweets los dulces

Remember: to sweeten = to dulcify / something that is dulcet

Mussolini, Il Duce, used to eat candy continuously, but only in secret. Imagine him almost choking because he tries to swallow a lollipop when one of his ministers suddenly steps into his office.

I, on the other hand, prefer sweets. Yo en cambio prefiero los dulces.

Picture by Nomadic Lass on Flickr

[daily-spanish-word]

stamp el sello

Picture a stamp with seals.

Think of a stamp being an official seal. (‘seal’ in Spanish is also ‘sello’)

Think of how the postal worker will sell you the stamp.

Imagine the post office (or the place where you buy stamps) being in a cellar.

An envelope and a stamp, please. Un sobre y un sello, por favor.

Picture by Vintageprintable1 on Flickr

[daily-spanish-word]

rabbit el conejo

Think of a fake, con rabbit: like somebody in a costume in a theme park.

‘Cone echo’ : Imagine a rabbit having to wear plastic cones over his ears, because his doctor said they need time to heal from the injury. He hates them because he now hears echos all the time.

Rabbits like to eat carrots. A los conejos les gusta comer zanahorias.

Picture by Eric Mueller on Flickr

[daily-spanish-word]

house la casa

“My house, My castle!” Imagine your house as a castle: long corridors, no glass windows, no central heating.

The city Casablanca in Morocco (see also the 1942 movie) means "white house" in Spanish. The original name is actually Portuguese: «casa branca». Portuguese sailors referred to it this way because of a little white house on a hill that was visible from the sea.

The White House is called the same in Spanish: «La Casa Blanca»

Imagine a suitcase or briefcase that unfolds into a small (and also portable) house.

Our house is your house. Nuestra casa es tu casa.

[daily-spanish-word]

table la mesa

Imagine they left a mess on your table, apparently all of it being small papers with text written on them: it’s a big pile of messages.

Remember: mesa : ‘a flat highland with steep edges’ - like a big table.

He left a message on the table. Él dejó un mensaje en la mesa.

Picture by Brian Burger on Flickr

[daily-spanish-word]

smile una sonrisa

As beautiful as a sunrise.

He greeted me with a smile. Me saludó con una sonrisa.