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Understanding Spanish
Although we've been here a few months now, our Spanish isn't great, especially when people talk really fast, or when you try to understand the real colloquial Spanish they talk around here where they knock the 's' off of the end of every plural and join it to the beginning of the next word...!
Today, there was a knock at the door. Or rather, it was more of a hammer than a knock. We peered out and were greeted with our next door neighbour and an old lady, both extremely flustered, both rattling off Spanish at 150 miles an hour. After about 30 seconds without pausing for breath, they both stopped dead and looked at us expecting an answer... There was a pause as Mrs Twyntub and I exchanged a horrified glance, both thinking "what the hell are they going on about?". :confused: Then our six year old daughter looked up and calmly said: "This lady has lost her dog. Its a puppy and it's name is ____, it's black - it's black all over, and it's quite small. They want to know if we've seen it. She lives in the village, opposite the medical centre. Please can we go and look for the dog? Can we? Please?" :blink::blink: |
Re: Understanding Spanish
Originally Posted by twyntub
(Post 5837935)
Although we've been here a few months now, our Spanish isn't great, especially when people talk really fast, or when you try to understand the real colloquial Spanish they talk around here where they knock the 's' off of the end of every plural and join it to the beginning of the next word...!
Today, there was a knock at the door. Or rather, it was more of a hammer than a knock. We peered out and were greeted with our next door neighbour and an old lady, both extremely flustered, both rattling off Spanish at 150 miles an hour. After about 30 seconds without pausing for breath, they both stopped dead and looked at us expecting an answer... There was a pause as Mrs Twyntub and I exchanged a horrified glance, both thinking "what the hell are they going on about?". :confused: Then our six year old daughter looked up and calmly said: "This lady has lost her dog. Its a puppy and it's name is ____, it's black - it's black all over, and it's quite small. They want to know if we've seen it. She lives in the village, opposite the medical centre. Please can we go and look for the dog? Can we? Please?" :blink::blink: Rosemary |
Re: Understanding Spanish
Originally Posted by The Oddities
(Post 5838017)
Well done to your little girl, you must be extremely proud of her mastery of the language. But, at the same time it makes you feel really sick that she can understand so quickly and clearly as this makes you feel even worse about your lack of language skills. I think that when people are intense about something it is hard to understand them as they string the words together more than usual so even more power to your daughter for her translation.
Rosemary Rosemary |
Re: Understanding Spanish
Originally Posted by twyntub
(Post 5837935)
Although we've been here a few months now, our Spanish isn't great, especially when people talk really fast, or when you try to understand the real colloquial Spanish they talk around here where they knock the 's' off of the end of every plural and join it to the beginning of the next word...!
Today, there was a knock at the door. Or rather, it was more of a hammer than a knock. We peered out and were greeted with our next door neighbour and an old lady, both extremely flustered, both rattling off Spanish at 150 miles an hour. After about 30 seconds without pausing for breath, they both stopped dead and looked at us expecting an answer... There was a pause as Mrs Twyntub and I exchanged a horrified glance, both thinking "what the hell are they going on about?". :confused: Then our six year old daughter looked up and calmly said: "This lady has lost her dog. Its a puppy and it's name is ____, it's black - it's black all over, and it's quite small. They want to know if we've seen it. She lives in the village, opposite the medical centre. Please can we go and look for the dog? Can we? Please?" :blink::blink: How absolutely wonderful:thumbsup: |
Re: Understanding Spanish
OMG :blink: Amazing!!! Well done to your little girl :thumbsup:
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Re: Understanding Spanish
Originally Posted by The Oddities
(Post 5838017)
Well done to your little girl, you must be extremely proud of her mastery of the language. But, at the same time it makes you feel really sick that she can understand so quickly and clearly as this makes you feel even worse about your lack of language skills. I think that when people are intense about something it is hard to understand them as they string the words together more than usual so even more power to your daughter for her translation.
Rosemary It just doesn't matter how hard we try, it's almost impossible to keep up with high-speed conversational Spanish. Yet to see our daughter today, she didn't break sweat - it's like she's always lived here!!! Absolutely incredible! :) :) |
Re: Understanding Spanish
Originally Posted by twyntub
(Post 5838705)
It makes you so proud - although as you say, one feels a little silly, especially when the neighbours realise and continue the conversation not with ourselves but with our daughter!! :rofl:
It just doesn't matter how hard we try, it's almost impossible to keep up with high-speed conversational Spanish. Yet to see our daughter today, she didn't break sweat - it's like she's always lived here!!! Absolutely incredible! :) :) It was one of my main aims when I came here to learn the language quickly, but it hasn't happened that way. :( |
Re: Understanding Spanish
Originally Posted by twyntub
(Post 5837935)
There was a pause as Mrs Twyntub and I exchanged a horrified glance, both thinking "what the hell are they going on about?". :confused: Then our six year old daughter looked up and calmly said: "This lady has lost her dog. Its a puppy and it's name is ____, it's black - it's black all over, and it's quite small. They want to know if we've seen it. She lives in the village, opposite the medical centre. Please can we go and look for the dog? Can we? Please?" :blink::blink: Don't despair, it just takes a little longer to learn a new language when you are older, but you'll get there too.. |
Re: Understanding Spanish
Originally Posted by Mitzyboy
(Post 5838938)
It makes me feel so stupid!
. :( |
Re: Understanding Spanish
Originally Posted by twyntub
(Post 5838705)
It makes you so proud - although as you say, one feels a little silly, especially when the neighbours realise and continue the conversation not with ourselves but with our daughter!! :rofl:
It just doesn't matter how hard we try, it's almost impossible to keep up with high-speed conversational Spanish. Yet to see our daughter today, she didn't break sweat - it's like she's always lived here!!! Absolutely incredible! :) :) |
Re: Understanding Spanish
Originally Posted by Mitzyboy
(Post 5838938)
It makes me feel so stupid!
It was one of my main aims when I came here to learn the language quickly, but it hasn't happened that way. :( At the end of the day it doesn't matter who you were, what you did, or what success you may achieved back in the UK......all that matters is what you can do right now. And I'll hazard a guess that the overwhelming majority of people who go back are the ones who were unable to reach a reasonable level of competence in the language. You can swing it to some degree living on the Costas....but out here you're going to have serious problems without a degree of communication skills. |
Re: Understanding Spanish
I thought we could only write in English on this forum :confused:
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Re: Understanding Spanish
That's a nice piece of Spanish. The top one appears to be a small commentary on genetics, and the bottom one is conflict between war and viniculture.
I can't get the middle one because I'm having trouble with the adjectives. An ethical cat? |
Re: Understanding Spanish
Originally Posted by bil
(Post 5877299)
My wife has trouble with her 'rs'...
I think it's just a nonsense rhyme like 'Jabberwocky'. My ex-wife used to have trouble with her 'Rs' as well. Usually through trying to fit it into size 12 jeans. |
Re: Understanding Spanish
Originally Posted by bil
(Post 5877923)
P has a bitch, and G has a vine. P's bitch climbed G's vine. G hit the bitch with a stick/club. P said to G, why have you hit my bitch with your stick?
G replied, if your bitch had not climbed my vine, I would not have had to hit your bitch with my stick |
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