This might be a long shot but I'm a bit desperate. I'm looking for a one bedroom or a studio apartment in La Spezia, Italy for six months starting the end of October.
Is there anyone who can offer a place, or help me find something affordable. I'm not from Italy, I'll be working there for six months starting November.
I'll greatly appreciate it. I'm also happy to share with a roommate or a few, as long as I have a place to stay.
Thank you in advance! I'll tag a few of the fandoms I'm in. I hope someone can help.
i find it crazy how people will say "oh dont practice on doulingo, do irl lessons. hire a teacher." like do you fr think people use Duolingo bcus they tink its better than an irl teacher. do you think attending irl, paid lessons, with a professional tutor, is srsly accessible. let ppl learn 4 fucks sake
(Ill update this as I post more, but here is a master post of tons of links to language resources to help you study a language from my site (Plurilingualism) so far! 💜)
Before you start:
- A guide to making S.M.A.R.T goals (and why goals are so important!)
- A complete guide to self-studying a language
Resources and tips:
- Website resources page (with links to tons of resources for general language learning)
- 5 must-visit sites for language learners
- Master list of language challenges (vocab, reading, journaling, etc)
- 10 unique resources (I’ll bet you haven’t heard of even 3!)
- Where to find good foreign language books (+ links to several recommendations)
- Master list of YouTube channels in 50+ languages (With almost 500 links!!)
- All about the animedoro study method (my favorite way to study anything, but especially a language)
- All about Memrise (a great app and website)
- All about Busuu (one of my all time favorite resources)
- All about italki (a must-have resource for any language learner!)
- How to perfect your pronunciation (+ links to guides in several languages)
- How to actively and passively learn a language via TV and movies
- The best 15 apps to learn a language with (+ links to full reviews for each)
- Why reading in your target language is SO beneficial (+ 3 reading strategies!)
- Why writing in your target language is so important (+ 50 prompts!)
- Spaced repetition and language learning
- Using social media as a language resource
- Language memes pt. 01 and pt. 02 and pt. 03
- Great gifts for language learners! (treat yo self!)
- How to master a new alphabet / writing script!
+
Etsy shop for language printables:
- http://etsy.com/shop/Plurilingualism
If you are studying Korean:
- 10 amazing Korean resources (with descriptions)
- Korean resource master post (with almost 200 links)
If you are studying German:
- German resource master post (with almost 200 links too)
If you are studying Spanish
- Spanish resource master post (with almost (you guessed it) 200 links!)
- Learn Spanish with 15 songs
- Guide to reflexive verbs in Spanish
If you are studying Japanese
- Japanese resource master post (with, surprise surprise, almost 200 links!)
If you are studying Italian
- Italian resource master post (you already know, ~200 links!)
hi :) i like to make a big list of things i want to do each summer, and i thought i’d share all the resources i collected this year with y'all in case you want to do any of these things too <3
learn a new language. 🦜
i’ve collected a bunch of resources for french, korean, and mandarin so i’ll be making separate posts for those languages. but here’s some of my favourite resources - most of them are based off of krashen’s comprehensible input theory which is why they are fun resources:
french: free grammar lessons and quizzes for all levels, watch french tv, read manga in french, a drive full of french books, a bunch of french culture podcasts, a list of french youtubers
korean: anki grammar decks for all levels, super in depth grammar explanations up to advanced level, a bunch of resources, reddit’s ultimate beginner’s thread, read korean webtoon, talk to me in korean
mandarin: a bunch of anki decks, grammar gamified, reading practice, chinese reading world, mandarin bean grammar points
japanese: core 2000 words anki deck, grammar gamified on renshuu
spanish: language transfer for spanish!
learn to draw. 🎨
this is more just a collection of art related resources. hope they help!
proko’s art library, a bunch of sketching and fundamental tutorials
the complete famous artists course
collection of art books and resources
alphonso dunn’s youtube channel
learn guitar. 🎸
i got a guitar last summer on a whim and have been having a really fun time learning it! here’s the main resource i’ve been using.
learn jazz piano. 🎹
similarly jazz piano is something i’ve wanted to get into for a while + improv. this person’s youtube channel is very cool!
write something and put it out into the world! ✍
i love to write and it took me a while to learn how to submit stuff to journals. hope these help you!
a bunch of resources on how to submit to journals
how to submit to literary magazines by doretta lau
publishing 101
chillsubs, an easy way to find journals to submit to
make your own video games. 🎮
by now if you follow me you know i love to make twine games. here are a couple of cool engines you can use for free!
twine, a text based engine
love
renpy or visual novel resources
bitsy
take a free online course. 🧠
coursera has a lot of options, which i really like. i took Yale’s the science of well being a few years ago and it was great!
make your own music or learn how audio software works. 🎵
audionodes is a cool free browser software that lets you do this without downloading anything!
learn about personal finance. 💵
i feel like it’s hard to devote proper time to learning about personal finance so a lot of us rely on learning as we go, but there are some good resources and tools online that are quick and easy when you have 5-30 min to spare!
PBS Two Cents youtube short vids about personal finance
wealthsimple personal finance 101 (short videos. nicholas braun is in them for some reason)
mint - free budgeting and goals software
edspira - more technical side of finance, accounting, etc youtube channel
- podcast recommendations in spanish for bookworms
hello! lately i’ve been using podcasts to augment my readings, find new things to read, and expose myself to new tactics of literary criticism, so here are some podcasts i’ve been enjoying. as a general tip, if you put the name of the book you’re reading or its author in the spotify search bar you will probably find an analysis or an interview, so try it out! ¡feliz lectura!
tema libre: my favorite on the list. from editorial anagrama, two authors discuss whatever they’d like (hence the name). my favorite episode is this one with mariana enríquez and kiko amat.
un libro una hora: just what it sounds like. they pick a book each episode and talk about it. meant for after you’ve read the book, since they do go into spoilers. they talk about literature from all over the world, not just from spanish speaking authors
tropebusters: not specifically literature, but they analyze a popular trope in literature, film, and pop culture in each episode. here’s one about humans vs ai
las ñoñas: discussion of varied authors with thematic music to accompany. i found them while looking for reviews on cadáver exquisito, so check out this episode.
cine aparte: it’s actually film, sorry! i’m in a film class right now so i’ve been treating film like literature for studying. this podcast analyzes both new releases and cult classics.
patio interior: another podcast of discussion of varied authors, but the episodes tend to be shorter so you can give it a quick listen and see if you want to read what they’ve recommended.
what are some spanish books you'd recommend? (i'm probably about a high schooler in terms of reading comprehension, but if you have any difficult/gritty recommendations, that would be perfect) muchos gracias :D
(An anon sent in a similar question looking for B1/B2 level books)
One of the better contemporary authors of what you might consider YA fiction is Laura Gallego García so I'd recommend her especially if you like fantasy.
I first found about her from Las memorias de Idhún. If you're on Netflix, you can see an anime based on it called "The Idhun Chronicles" - and one of the main actresses is Michelle Jenner who is an extremely well-known Spanish actress [she played Isabel in the well-known historical drama Isabel about the Catholic Monarchs in Reconquista times]
If anyone has any other suggestions, please write them in
Other books/stories you might like:
Esperanza renace by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Como agua para chocolate by Laura Esquivel
La casa en Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
La sombra del viento by Carlos Ruiz Zafón [fairly advanced]
La casa de los espíritus by Isabel Allende [somewhat advanced]
El Conde Lucanor by Don Juan Manuel [advanced at times; but it's styled like fables or multiple short stories]
El burlador de Sevilla y el convidado de piedra by Tirso de Molina [advanced at times with language, but very easy to follow; also a play]
I would also say look into translations of things like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, or Hunger Games [Los juegos del hambre] and other YA fiction that is more geared towards highschoolers and teenagers because the language used is not as complex but still really useful. Also, many 1st person novels are really good for showing you the yo forms of a lot of verbs especially irregular verbs.
Also some people really recommend El alquimista "the Alchemist" in the Spanish version by Paulo Coelho. It's a very well-known book for high schoolers though it is somewhat advanced in places
PS Also gotta recommend Hombres necios que acusáis by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. It's a poem, but it reads like the rawest slam poetry you've ever heard and also still frighteningly relevant in feminism
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You may also enjoy short stories. If one author has multiple stories I'll just include the name once in the list. Some of these are translations of other short stories you'll probably know of which helps the comprehension better!
El rubí by Rubén Darío
La ninfa
El velo de la reina Mab
La muerte de la emperatriz de China
El palacio del sol
Blancanieves [Snow White] by the Brothers Grimm
Rumpelstiltskin
Pulgarcito [Tom Thumb]
La Cenicienta [Cinderella]
Cuentos by Esopo [or, "Aesop's Fables"]
El barril de amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe
Los crímenes de la calle Morgue
La máscara de la muerte roja
El loco de Sevilla by Miguel de Cervantes [a story within a story; it's from Don Quixote, but it's a very well-known vignette in the novel]
La pastora Marcela [also a story within a story; some frame of reference, Don Quixote is riding around and comes across a funeral and people are accusing a shepherdess Marcela of spurning this dude's love and he couldn't handle it - Marcela then appears out of nowhere and drags everyone and we love to see it]
Cine Prado by Elena Poniatowska
El regalo de los Reyes Mago [The Gift of the Magi] by O. Henry
La sirenita [The Little Mermaid] by Hans Christian Andersen
Caperucita Roja [Little Red Riding Hood] by Charles Perrault
La Bella Durmiente [Sleeping Beauty]
Las mil y una noches [1001 Nights] by Anonymous
La muñeca menor by Rosario Ferré
El almohadón de plumas by Horacio Quiroga
La noche boca arriba by Julio Cortázar
Los dos reyes y los dos laberintos by Jorge Luis Borges
Biblioteca Digital Ciudad Seva
This is my usual go-to for reading classics translated into Spanish [there's also the Gutenberg Project if you're looking for ebooks]
Just some general advice:
-Anything by Cervantes is quite old and you will need to find a more modern version or you'll end up with some very antiquated spellings and grammar. He wrote Don Quixote and some other short stories/plays, and all of his mini-stories from Don Quixote are the same general difficulty.
-I do love Borges but for God's sake DO NOT read El jardín de los senderos que se bifurcan "The Garden of Forking Paths". It is advanced, and confusing even for native speakers. I mean this is a story people dedicate a thesis on to try and unravel. It's the kind of thing that you read, you read the wikipedia/rincón del vago entries, and reread and still get confused
-If you're feeling like you want a good challenge, try reading El Popol Vuh which is a book of Maya myths/history/etc, and it's an extremely important in indigenous cultures and history. People have called it the Maya Book of Genesis [though be aware the original translation was done by a Dominican friar named Francisco Ximénez, and there are some modernized versions]
...
Also, speaking of Rincón del Vago is like a Spanish version of Sparknotes. I'm not saying you should be using it to do your homework, but if you happen to find something like Alice in Wonderland / Alicia en el país de las maravillas you can read through the entry in Spanish as reading practice
I tried to narrow these down to nouns you might find useful in everyday life to beef up your vocab
el calvario = an ordeal, agony / an arduous task that one must undertake, “one’s cross to bear”
[lit. “Calvary”, referring to the place Jesus was crucified; in Spanish el calvario is interpreted as “stations of the cross” or the reenactments of the Passion of Christ… but in common Spanish, el calvario is used as “a task that is pretty much torture” or something that someone feels they must do… “a cross to bear” in the same etymology]
el bullicio = hustle and bustle, busy activity / noise (from a lot of people or chatter), ruckus
el deseo = desire / wish
pedir un deseo = to make a wish [lit. “to request a wish/desire”]
el consejo = council (a group of people) / counsel, advice
[also used in the context of “legal council”]
el logro = achievement, accomplishment
el blanco = target
[as opposed to blanco/a being “white”, or “white people”]
el susto = a fright, a scare, a shock
dar un susto = to surprise, to shock someone, “to make someone jump” or “to give someone a scare”
la racha = a gust / a good or bad period
la buena racha = “lucky streak”, string of good luck
la mala racha = “unlucky streak”, string of bad luck
(estar) en racha = “(to be) on a roll”, “(to be) in the zone”
el renacimiento = rebirth, revival
[sometimes understood as a “golden age” often for science or literature as a kind of boom, or it means the “revitalization” or “reawakening” of certain trends, ideas/ideals, fields of study, fashions, or literature that had been out of fashion or not as prominent previously]
el Renacimiento = Renaissance
la quimera = chimera (fantasy) / a fantasy, a dream with no basis in reality, a pipe dream
la prueba = test, quiz / evidence, proof
la hacienda = plantation, plantation house / estate / property, estate
la Hacienda = the IRS, tax office
el peligro = danger, risk
el riesgo = risk
el legado = legacy / inheritance, something bequeathed
el antojo = whim, whimsy / craving, desire
[I have also sometimes seen antojo used as “snack” or “appetizer” in some menus, also sometimes as antojitos]
la gestión = management, administration / process, “paperwork”
el alambre = wire, cable
el alambre de púas = barbed wire [lit. “wire of spikes/barbs”]
el faro = lighthouse
[sometimes euphemistically el faro is used as a “beacon” or “guiding light”]
el parecer = opinion
el cambio de parecer = “a change of heart” [could also be cambio de opinión]
el zumbido = buzz, hum, droning sound
el cometido = task, mission, mission statement
la pata = leg / paw (animal, usually but not always)
meter la pata = “to mess up”, “to step in it”
la punzada = sharp pain, a jabbing pain / “twinge”, “pang”, sharp negative feeling
la punzada de culpa = “twinge of guilt”
la época = time period, age, epoch, “period” (a default word for a specific time period, often used in the contexts of history and literary movements)
la época medieval = the Medieval period
la época colonial = the colonial period
la época precolombina = the pre-Columbian period (the time period before Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas; used in Latin America to mean before the indigenous people had contact with Europe)
el santuario = sanctuary, shrine / refuge, sanctuary
el vaivén = “ups and down” (literally and figuratively) / something that fluctuates / a swaying motion, a rocking motion (often the ocean)
el obsequio = gift or present (but fancy) / tribute
el conjunto = group, grouping, combination
el vínculo = bond, tie, link
el peso = weight [physical and emotional, may also be understood as “burden”… and in some situations, the peso is a unit of currency]
la prenda = garment, article of clothing
el hito = milestone, important event
la fiera = beast, wild animal / fiend
el ejemplar = the original, prototype, model / copy (of a book or magazine)
ejemplar = exemplary
el hueco = an empty spot, a gap / “an opening” (in one’s schedule, or a “job opening”)
hueco/a = hollow, empty
el bálsamo = balsam / a balm, something that soothes or eases pain or discomfort
el don = a gift, a blessing
el don de gentes = “good people skills”, social graces, social butterfly
el don de (la) palabra = “gift of gab”, “good with one’s words”, eloquent
[usually used with tener “to have”]
la potencia = power, potency, strength / power (in physics) / a superpower (in politics or global power)
la ficha = chip, token, tile, game piece / index card, ticket, certificate / token
[any kind of game piece, domino, checker, casino chip, tile, etc etc etc is a ficha (especially in gambling) or la pieza “piece” (particularly in chess or games with unique pieces)]
el olvido = oblivion, obscurity
el patrón = pattern
[also, el patrón or la patrona is “patron” or “sponsor”… sometimes it’s “boss” or generally the person in charge]
el género = gender / genre (of literature/tv) / genus, type
el argumento = reasoning, argument [in someone’s thinking, not a loud “argument” usually] / plot, plotline, storyline, premise
el engaño = deceit, a trick
el horizonte = horizon / skyline, view of the city / limits, boundary
[also means “horizon” the same way English uses it like hay nubes en el horizonte “there are clouds on the horizon” to mean something ominous coming]
el descuido = a mistake or slip-up, oversight, neglect, carelessness
el adefesio = something extremely hideous or unsightly, an eyesore
la moda = fashion, style
estar de moda = to be in fashion, to be fashionable
(estar) pasado/a de moda, (estar) fuera de moda = to be out of style, to be out of fashion, to be unfashionable
el matiz = nuance / shade, hue (of colors)
el plazo = time period
a corto plazo = short-term
a largo plazo = long-term
I am loving your site. Wish there was a better way to search the archives. Do verbs like gustar/encantar (I know mucho gusto) ever used in conjugations other than pronominal third person?
So mucho gusto is using el gusto "pleasure" as a noun
But yes, you can use gustar/encantar in other conjugations
If you're using indirect objects, it's the object that's actually conjugating things; me gusta is translated as "I like it" but it's more literally "it pleases me" or "it gives me joy"
So te gusto is "you like me"... but literally "I give you joy", and me gustas is "I like you" but literally "you give me joy"
That's why it can be confusing for people
Most verbs with indirect objects work like that: me preocupas is literally "you worry me", me molestas "you annoy me", me importas "you matter to me", me interesas "you interest me", me das miedo "you scare me", me das asco "you disgust me"
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With gustar they tell you up and down in school not to use gustar on its own, but I have seen native speakers say gusto "I like it" or gustas "you like it"
I don't know if that's universal, my friend that used to say that a lot was from Puerto Rico... but it happens
She loved to say gusta by itself to mean something like “that’s cool”
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As for encantar you definitely can use it like a regular verb though it means something different
When used with indirect objects, encantar means "to really like" because it's related to "charm" or "to find charming"
But its basic function is "to enchant" or "to charm" sort of like magic. So if you're seeing encantar used regularly it's often in the context of witches or magic like encantar a alguien is "to charm someone" or possibly "to cast a spell on someone"
You'll often see it in fantasy things as like "to put a spell on an object", like charms or incantations [encantar = is related to "incantation" in its etymology]
And that is a more basic construction with subject verb object, rather than the indirect object construction
Vivo en el estado de Washington donde el cannabis es legal para uso recreativo. De día trabajo como budtender, una persona que vende la mota y otros productos cannábicos en una tienda. Esta es una lista para ayudarme hablar de los productos más eficientemente. Tuve que buscar la mayoría de estas palabras, entonces si también consumes marihuana y conoces ciertos términos que te suenan mejor, díme por favor y lo agregaré a mi lista. Estoy tratando de centrarme en vocabulario que se usa en México y los Estados Unidos, pero me interesan también otras formas de hablar de todo el mundo hispanohablante. :)
General
display case - vitrina (f)
accessories - accesorios (m)
toke - toque (m)
to inhale - inhalar
to smoke - fumar
Hold the smoke in your lungs for 10 seconds - Mantén / Mantenga el humo en los pulmones por 10 segundos
Flower - Flor
weed / pot - mota (f)
grass - hierba (f)
bong - bonga (f) / pipa (f) de agua
blunt wrap - envoltura (f) de blonte
pipe - pipa (f)
rolling papers - papel (m) de fumar
grinder - moledor (m)
pack of joints - paquete (m) de porros / leños
two-pack - paquete de dos
joint - porro (m) / leño (m)
infused joint - porro / leño infundido
to grind - moler
to roll a joint - forjar un porro
Vaping - Vapeo
battery - batería (f)
mouthpiece - boquilla (f)
vape cartridge - cartucho (m) de vapeo
adapter - adaptador (m)
to vape - vapear
to vaporise - vaporizar
Dabs - Aceite
oil rig - [???] "de vidrio, como una bonga pero más chica y para dabear"
torch - antorcha (f)
nectar collector - recolector (m) de néctar [??]
to dab - dabear [vaporizar aceite de hachís / concentrado]
Edibles - Comestibles
gummies - gomitas (f)
hard candy - dulce (m) duro
cookie - galleta (f)
beverage - bebida (f)
chocolate - chocolate (m)
caramel - caramelo (m)
breath mints - mentas (f) para el aliento
orally - por vía oral
to ingest - ingerir
to swallow - tragar
to chew - masticar
to leave [it] under the tongue - dejarlo debajo de la lengua
to let [it] dissolve on the tongue - dejarlo disolver sobre la lengua
Topicals - Tópicos
patch - parche (m)
ointment / salve - pomada (f)
suppository - supositorio (m)
cream - crema (f)
gel - gel (m)
to apply - aplicar
to rub on the skin - frotar en la piel
to insert - insertar
to moisturise - hidratar
to relieve pain - aliviar el dolor
Wellness - Bienestar
tintura (f)- tincture
tintura a base de aceite - oil-based tincture
tintura a base de agua - water-based tincture
tableta (f) - tablet
cápsula (f) - capsule
inhalador (m) - inhaler
tabletas de disolución rápida - fast-dissolving tablets