Understanding Spanish
Jan 25th 2008, 12:58 pm
#1
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2007
Location: España
Posts: 728
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?".
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?"
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?".
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?"
Jan 25th 2008, 1:25 pm
#2
MODERATOR
Joined: Mar 2007
Location: Costa Valencia
Posts: 14,800
Re: 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?".
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?"
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?".
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?"
Rosemary
Jan 25th 2008, 1:54 pm
#3
MODERATOR
Joined: Mar 2007
Location: Costa Valencia
Posts: 14,800
Re: Understanding Spanish
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
Rosemary
Jan 25th 2008, 2:01 pm
#4
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: up the mountain near Guadalest
Posts: 1,389
Re: 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?".
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?"
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?".
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?"
How absolutely wonderful
Jan 25th 2008, 4:35 pm
#5
Popping in for a chat
Joined: Jun 2006
Location: Back home
Posts: 4,573
Re: Understanding Spanish
OMG Amazing!!! Well done to your little girl
Amazing!!! Well done to your little girl
Jan 25th 2008, 4:51 pm
#6
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2007
Location: España
Posts: 728
Re: Understanding Spanish
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
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!
Jan 25th 2008, 5:58 pm
#7
Senior Moment
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: On the edge
Posts: 20,460
Re: Understanding Spanish
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!!
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 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.
Jan 26th 2008, 4:03 am
#8
Joined: Jun 2006
Location: Aspen, CO
Posts: 9,845
Re: Understanding Spanish
There was a pause as Mrs Twyntub and I exchanged a horrified glance, both thinking "what the hell are they going on about?".
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?"
.. Don't despair, it just takes a little longer to learn a new language when you are older, but you'll get there too..
Jan 26th 2008, 8:07 am
#9
Straw Man.
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: That, there, that's not my post count... nothing to see here, move along.
Posts: 46,302
Jan 27th 2008, 7:43 pm
#10
Popping in for a chat
Joined: Jun 2006
Location: Back home
Posts: 4,573
Re: Understanding Spanish
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!!
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 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!
Jan 29th 2008, 7:19 pm
#11
Mucho Macho
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Huescar
Posts: 1,213
Re: Understanding Spanish
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.
Feb 3rd 2008, 10:06 am
#12
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 6,281
Re: Understanding Spanish
I thought we could only write in English on this forum
Feb 3rd 2008, 10:53 am
#13
Banned
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Vejer de la Fra., Cadiz
Posts: 7,653
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?
I can't get the middle one because I'm having trouble with the adjectives. An ethical cat?
Last edited by jdr; Feb 3rd 2008 at 1:47 pm. Reason: Sorry English only
Feb 3rd 2008, 1:30 pm
#15
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Broxbourne, Herts
Posts: 619
Re: Understanding Spanish
