Spanish word of the day
Quote: WizardThe question for the advanced readers is whether there is a connection between arrastrar and the English "arrest," which might be like dragging someone to jail.
I don't know. But the Spanish word for "to arrest" is "arrestar."
Quote:La última 1.6 kilómetros del maratón tuve que arrastrarme a la línea de terminar. = The last mile of the marathon I had to drag myself to the finish line.
"1.6" being greater than 1 is plural, therefore you cannot use a singular article. Plus "kilometrOs" is a masculine noun, so you get "LOS últimOs 1.6 kilometros..." Or you can say "LA últimA MILLA del maratón...."
And while "finish" does mean "terminar," that's not the correct term for "finish line." It's "línea de meta," or "línea de llegada," or simply "meta." You can also say "final." So:
"La última milla del maratón tuve que arrastrarme a la meta"
"La última milla del maratón tuve que arrastrarme a la línea de meta"
Quote: WizardThe question for the advanced readers is whether there is a connection between arrastrar and the English "arrest," which might be like dragging someone to jail.
They are not related; they are false friends.
Definition
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rastro m (plural rastros)
- rake
- sign; trace; vestige
- public market, especially El Rastro in Madrid
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offshoot, layer
The market is famous in Madrid. I have actually seen it.
There is a famous quote using the verb. Points to the Wizard for identifying the conjugation of the verb that is arrastrándose.
• La falsedad tiene alas y vuela, y la verdad la sigue arrastrándose, de modo que cuando las gentes se dan cuenta del engaño ya es demasiado tarde.
"Miguel de Cervantes"
Quote: pacomartinThere is a famous quote using the verb. Points to the Wizard for identifying the conjugation of the verb that is arrastrándose.
• La falsedad tiene alas y vuela, y la verdad la sigue arrastrándose, de modo que cuando las gentes se dan cuenta del engaño ya es demasiado tarde.
"Miguel de Cervantes"
My guess is something like "dragging itself." I suspect this might be an antiquated conjugation, as even with cheating I can't find it. The "ando" in the ending makes me thing it refers to dragging, and se refers to the truth.
Quote: WizardQuote: pacomartinThere is a famous quote using the verb. Points to the Wizard for identifying the conjugation of the verb that is arrastrándose.
• La falsedad tiene alas y vuela, y la verdad la sigue arrastrándose, de modo que cuando las gentes se dan cuenta del engaño ya es demasiado tarde.
"Miguel de Cervantes"
My guess is something like "dragging itself." I suspect this might be an antiquated conjugation, as even with cheating I can't find it. The "ando" in the ending makes me thing it refers to dragging, and se refers to the truth.
Wiz, good guess! It really means dragging itself - I'd say more: "ando" really refers to dragging, and "se" is a reflexive pronom, refering to itself.
Quote: aluisioWiz, good guess! It really means dragging itself - I'd say more: "ando" really refers to dragging, and "se" is a reflexive pronom, refering to itself.
Thanks. Shortly after my last post I came across this sentence in a Spanish book, Rodrick estaba en mi habitación molestándome cuando papá pasó al cuarto de baño.
From context, the molestándome clearly means "bothering me." I guess that when you make the gerund reflexive you have to put an accent on the "a."
Do you do that on er/ir verbs? For example, how would one say "The shark is eating me."?
Gerund reflexive would be bañándose and in this case enclítico with the pronom after the verb.
Let me try to answer your question:
El tiburón está me comiendo. - Pronom before the verb, direct order.
El tiburón está comiendome. - Pronom after the verb, enclítico.
Quote: aluisioWiz, good guess! It really means dragging itself - I'd say more: "ando" really refers to dragging, and "se" is a reflexive pronom, refering to itself.
Once more we bump against the literal translation. The real meaning is "crawling." Let's look at the whole phrase:
"Falsehood has wings, while the truth keeps crawling, so that when people notice the deceit it's too late."
Contrast that with:
"Falsehood has wings, while the truth keeps dragging itself, so that when people notice the deceit it's too late."
Quote: WizardFrom context, the molestándome clearly means "bothering me." I guess that when you make the gerund reflexive you have to put an accent on the "a."
Accents exist only to indicate pronunciation, as in which syllable gets the emphasis. There are four simple rules that dictate which words require accents and which don't. You should ask your tutor about that.
Quote: WizardI guess that when you make the gerund reflexive you have to put an accent on the "a." Do you do that on er/ir verbs? For example, how would one say "The shark is eating me."?
Yes, the accent preserves the original emphasis on the penultimate syllable. The reflexive pronoun doesn't change the syllable you want to accent.
paracer, paraceriendo
paracerse, paraceriéndose
This is an example using a reflexive verb.
Comerse == to eat up, to leave out, to skip, or to swallow. So you wouldn't use it in your example sentence.
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Per Nareed, I have only seen the word translated as "crawl".
Quote: aluisioNareed, I always used gatear in the sense of crawling. Is that innapropriate?
No. The English verb "to crawl" does translate as "gatear," but only when referring to a baby's crawl.
Any other kind of crawl, like a snake, or a soldier crawling chest down on the battlefield, is translated differently.
Quote: NareedAccents exist only to indicate pronunciation, as in which syllable gets the emphasis. There are four simple rules that dictate which words require accents and which don't. You should ask your tutor about that.
Hmmm. What about si y sí? If and yes are two different words. A while back Paco had a long list of such examples. I've always thought of a vowel with or without the accent as completely different letters.
My tutor is not going to know things like that. She keeps saying that for questions on the fine points of Spanish grammar I should get a tutor appropriate for my level. She says that except for me, all her students are beginners. However, I enjoy our lessons too much to leave.
Thank you, I appreciate your kindness. Would you please help clarifying Mike about "colacación pronominal"?
Quote: aluisioNareed, I always used gatear in the sense of crawling. Is that innapropriate?
gatear was one of the first SWD
We had a discussion about the different kinds of crawling (baby style, military style, ...)
Quote: WizardHmmm. What about si y sí? If and yes are two different words. A while back Paco had a long list of such examples. I've always thought of a vowel with or without the accent as completely different letters.
My tutor is not going to know things like that. She keeps saying that for questions on the fine points of Spanish grammar I should get a tutor appropriate for my level. She says that except for me, all her students are beginners. However, I enjoy our lessons too much to leave.
the four rules for written accent marks in Spanish including the monosyllable list.
I wouldn't think of them as a different letter. With the exception of the one syllable words, they just indicate stress.
Quote: WizardHmmm. What about si y sí?
I never understood that one in school, either. Sorry.
Accents can also be used to separate two consecutive vowel sounds, or something along those lines.
Quote:I've always thought of a vowel with or without the accent as completely different letters.
There are some cases of that. However, all words with the emphasis in the antepenúltima syllable have an accent to indicate it.
In fact I've been trying to translate antepenúltima for the past few minutes without success. Merriam Webster says it means "third from last."
Let's see if I can remember:
Words with emphasis on the last syllable have an accent if they end in a vowel or in "s" or "n."
Words with emphasis on the next to last last syllable have an accent if they don't end in a vowel or in "s" or "n."
Words with emphasis on the third from last syllable, or any prior syllables, always have an accent.
There are some exceptions, sometimes to differentiate meanings.
Quote: aluisioNareed,
Thank you, I appreciate your kindness. Would you please help clarifying Mike about "colacación pronominal"?
You're welcome.
As for the rest, I'm afraid I have to say I was never good at grammar. I know it implicitly, through use, but I have a hard time explaining it. And I'm nearly totally ignorant of the terms involved.
Quote: NareedIn fact I've been trying to translate antepenúltima for the past few minutes without success. Merriam Webster says it means "third from last
Penultimate means next to last, so antepenúltima must mean before the penultimate syllable. It isn't necessarily limited to "third from last".
In other words there are no default pronunciation rules to cover any cases where you don't emphasize the last, or the second to last. In these cases you are required to have a written accent mark.
Quote: WizardThe signage for this promotion said Me gusta tacos y margaritas. The hostess looked like she spoke Spanish, which she did. So I told her that it should be Me gustAN tacos y margaritas, because gustar is conjugated based on what is being liked, not who is liking it. She disagreed, saying gusta is correct. After some debate I asked, "How would I say "I like tables" in Spanish? She said Me gustan las mesas. I said "I agree, so why it gusta if I like tacos?" She said "It just is."
I thought of a point on this subject. The English word disgust where the prefix dis- means "the opposite of" behaves exactly like the Spanish verb gustar. In English we would say "The Tacos and Margaritas disgust me", but the sentence "I disgust Tacos" doesn't make any sense.
The word "disgust" is a word English picked up from French in the 16th century, and it comes from the same Latin word gustare, that is an ancestor of the Spanish word "gustar".
Quote: pacomartinI thought of a point on this subject. The English word disgust where the prefix dis- means "the opposite of" behaves exactly like the Spanish verb gustar. In English we would say "The Tacos and Margaritas disgust me", but the sentence "I disgust Tacos" doesn't make any sense.
The word "disgust" is a word English picked up from French in the 16th century, and it comes from the same Latin word gustare, that is an ancestor of the Spanish word "gustar".
However, Latin gustare, meaning "taste", "sample", or "enjoy", was conjugated gusto, for "I like", instead of as *mihi or me gustat*.
Palabra: Apuro
Today's SWD means a predicament or a tight spot. Other meanings include embarrassment or a hurry.
The assignment for the advanced readers is to compare and contrast apuro y aprieto.
Ejemplo time.
Bueno, eso es otro buen apuro me has metido en. = Well, that is another fine predicament you've put me in.
Quote: WizardThe assignment for the advanced readers is to compare and contrast apuro y aprieto.
"Aprieto" means something like "being in a tight spot." I mean this in a literal sense, though not litereally, as "apretar" means "to tighten," or "to pinch." As in for example "Aprieta la tuerca" = "Tighten the bolt." "Estos zapatos me aprietan" = "These shoes pinch me."
"Apuro" denotes hurry, and is related to "apurar," meaning "to hurry." It does mean a rpedicament, but usually one that needs to be solved quickly.
Quote:Bueno, eso es otro buen apuro me has metido en. = Well, that is another fine predicament you've put me in.
"... otro buen apuro EN EL QUE me has metido."
I know the rule is obsolete in English, but in Spanish you do not end sentences in a prepostion because then they don't make sense.
Quote: NareedI know the rule is obsolete in English, but in Spanish you do not end sentences in a prepostion because then they don't make sense.
Your rule is one of the top 10 Grammatical Mistakes You Can Avoid in this article.
BTW, the fact that you "can't end a sentence with a preposition" (in English) is a widely quoted mythical rule. The actual rule is that "you should never end a setence with a preposition if it is not needed" (in English).
If you didn't recognize it, the Wizard was copying a famous Oliver and Hardy movie catchphrase.
Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!
I feel stupid saying that since you seem to know American pop culture as well as anyone.
Quote: pacomartinIf you didn't recognize it, the Wizard was copying a famous Oliver and Hardy movie catchphrase.
Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!
I feel stupid saying that since you seem to know American pop culture as well as anyone.
I actually thought it was Gilligan's Island, becasue that's a safe assumption to make with the Wizard, and because Gilligan's job was to mess things up :)
But, yes, I recall such lines from Oliver and Hardy. I've seen some of their movies, both silent and talkies. In fact they were quite well-known in Mexico in the 70s. Their movies, especially the silent ones, were shown often on weekend afternoons. Locally they're known as "El Gordo El Flaco."
Quote: pacomartinYour rule is one of the top 10 Grammatical Mistakes You Can Avoid in this article.
-- linkQuote: 10 Grammatical Mistakes You Can AvoidUsing possessive adjectives when referring to body parts and articles of clothing. In English, we usually refer to a person's body parts or clothing using possessive adjectives. But in Spanish, the definite article (el or la) is used when the person the body part or item belongs to is obvious. Correct: ¡Abre los ojos! (Open your eyes!) El hombre se puso la camisa. (The man put on his shirt.)
-- SWD Oct 22, 2011Quote: wizardEl león le dijo, "Por favor tome la astilla de la pata." = The lion said, "Please take the splinter out of my paw."
Quote: NareedThe lion would say "Por favor SACA la astilla de MI pata."
I hate to beat a dead horse, but with all due respect, but I've always read that body parts are never possessive in Spanish, and Paco's article is yet another source. So I still say that it should be la pata.
Quote: NowTheSerpentHowever, Latin gustare, meaning "taste", "sample", or "enjoy", was conjugated gusto, for "I like", instead of as *mihi or me gustat*.
This discrepancy has been discussed before. Dictionaries fully conjugate the verb in all persons:
English conjugation of disgust
Spanish conjugation of gustar
However, normal Spanish conversation never uses anything but 3rd person for "gustar", and normal English conversation only uses 3rd person for "disgust". Since English doesn't have singular and plural nouns, there is no issue about which ending to use.
As my only Latin class was 40 years ago, I don't remember how "gustare, gusto, or gustus" are used in Latin.
Quote: WizardI hate to beat a dead horse, but with all due respect, but I've always read that body parts are never possessive in Spanish, and Paco's article is yet another source. So I still say that it should be la pata.
And I hate to repeat myself, but that's not how the language is used. Not consistently, at any rate. Take these two examples:
Me duele LA cabeza = I have a headache or My head hurts.
Me duele todo MI hermoso cuerpo = I hurt all voer my beautiful body (this is kind of a joke)
Let me change the topic by asking how to translate this sentence I came across.
Papá cortó mis intntos en seco.
The way I would literally translate that is "Father cut my intentions dry."
In English one can stop things "cold," meaning it is done quickly and without hesitation. In Spanish is "dry" used instead of "cold"?
Quote: WizardOkay, I'll let Nareed have the last word on the possessive body parts argument, without admitting defeat.
Somehow this doesn't feel like a victory...
Quote:Papá cortó mis intntos en seco.
The way I would literally translate that is "Father cut my intentions dry."
IntEntos.
Quote:In English one can stop things "cold," meaning it is done quickly and without hesitation. In Spanish is "dry" used instead of "cold"?
In some case it is. If you stop suddenly while driving, for instance to avoid hitting an obstacle in the road, you could say "Tuve que parar en seco." But you can't generalize too much.
Quote: NareedSomehow this doesn't feel like a victory...
Maybe this will help. I was just chatting with a Speaking-speaking nanny I sometimes see at the park by my house. She is always happy to help me with my Spanish. So I asked her if body parts can be possessive in Spanish. In particular in my example if it would be mi pata o la pata. She said either would be acceptable.
Quote:In some case it is. If you stop suddenly while driving, for instance to avoid hitting an obstacle in the road, you could say "Tuve que parar en seco." But you can't generalize too much.
Thanks. Can you comment on where this figure of speech comes from?
Quote: WizardIn particular in my example if it would be mi pata o la pata. She said either would be acceptable.
Well, yes. And let's leave it at that.
Quote:Thanks. Can you comment on where this figure of speech comes from?
"Parar en seco"? I've no idea at all. Sorry.
Quote: WizardMaybe this will help. I was just chatting with a Speaking-speaking nanny I sometimes see at the park by my house. She is always happy to help me with my Spanish. So I asked her if body parts can be possessive in Spanish. In particular in my example if it would be mi pata o la pata. She said either would be acceptable.
For what it's worth, it's similar with French. In my high school French classes we were always taught that you do not use possessives with body parts, but when we actually went to Europe I asked a local about it and he said that they did use possessives with body parts.
We have similar, hard-to-describe rules about this in English too. Here are some examples:
"I have water on the knee" has a different meaning than "I have water on my knee," but both make sense.
"She has cancer of the liver" makes sense whereas "She has cancer of her liver" sounds strange.
If you were reading the instructions for a sling, it might say "Place around the arm" instead of "Place around your arm," but either would work.
"The other driver gave me the finger" sounds like road rage whereas "The other driver gave me her finger" sounds silly.
Quote: JB"She has cancer of the liver" makes sense whereas "She has cancer of her liver" sounds strange.
These make sense to me:
Her liver has cancer
Her liver's failing
Her heart gave out
Among others.
Also:
I hurt my arm playing football
I cut my finger slicing onions for dinner.
Quote:"The other driver gave me the finger" sounds like road rage whereas "The other driver gave me her finger" sounds silly.
Yes, but if someone gave you a kidney you'd say "She gave me her kidney."
Quote: NareedYes, but if someone gave you a kidney you'd say "She gave me her kidney."
Yes, it's almost as if each case has its own rules; or that there is no rule, just exceptions.
English is very "fluid" or "mix-and-match" and I'm glad it's my primary language, because I would have trouble explaining it to someone whose primary language is more rigid.
Quote: WizardPapá cortó mis intntos en seco. The way I would literally translate that is "Father cut my intentions dry." In English one can stop things "cold," meaning it is done quickly and without hesitation. In Spanish is "dry" used instead of "cold"?
That's a puzzler. Let me guess and I will bow to a better argument or a stronger reference.
In English the phrase "cold on my feet" is at least 400 years old. In this sense it means "hard up". The phrase to "stop cold turkey" is at least a hundred years old. The implication is that since "cold turkey" is a meal that requires no preparation, you are stopping something, usually drinking or drugs, without any preparation.
I can't find the original usage of "to stop cold", so I assume it came from one or both of those other expressions.
The Spanish word is very difficult. My only guess is that the Latin word seco means not just "dry", but also "to cut", "to cut off", "to amputate", "to cleave", "to divide" and "to castrate". While the word does not mean that in Spanish, the idiom may be very old, and refer to the earlier Latin use of the word.
-
While I admit the appeal to Latin is a bit of a stretch it explains phrases like
- un golpe seco - a sharp blow
- en seco - abruptly, suddenly
- a secas - simply, just
The Latin word "seco" meaning "to cut" or "to divide" shows up in English words like "section" and even "sex" which divides the race into two sections.
Quote: pacomartinMy only guess is that the Latin word seco means not just "dry", but also "to cut", "to cut off", "to amputate", "to cleave", "to divide" and "to castrate". While the word does not mean that in Spanish, the idiom may be very old, and refer to the earlier Latin use of the word.
The Latin word "seco" meaning "to cut" or "to divide" shows up in English words like "section" and even "sex" which divides the race into two sections.
The Latin root -sicc- denoted "dryness" or "thirst", while -sec- was the root for the notion of cutting. Ablaut in Iberian Vulgate and non-duplication of consanants in Spanish made these two end up looking the same ("homographs").
There are lots of expressions in English with the word "cold." Here are some others that come to mind:
Cold shoulder (what you give to someone when you ignore them)
Cold feet (when you have second thoughts about an action you're committed to take)
Cold cuts (slices of meat, which aren't necessarily cold)
Cold call (a sales call made with no referral)
Seems to me that every expression with "cold" is negative in nature. I tend to think that is just being figurative with language. Everybody has a general negative reaction to the word "cold" so we pepper expressions with it to convey something bad. Same thing with the word "black."
Quote: JBFor what it's worth, it's similar with French.
If you speak French, then you at least be aware of the use of the word for "dry" to mean abruptly. Look at these four Spanish phrases, and their English translations. At least the second one is translated by google to French as "to halt".
1) dejar a alguien seco
2) parar en seco
3) llámame Juan a secas
4) no comas pan a secas
1) to kill somebody stone dead;
2) to stop dead
3) just call me Juan
4) don't eat just bread
2) une halte
Quote: NareedQuote: WizardI hate to beat a dead horse, but with all due respect, but I've always read that body parts are never possessive in Spanish, and Paco's article is yet another source. So I still say that it should be la pata.
And I hate to repeat myself, but that's not how the language is used. Not consistently, at any rate. Take these two examples:
Me duele LA cabeza = I have a headache or My head hurts.
Me duele todo MI hermoso cuerpo = I hurt all over my beautiful body (this is kind of a joke)
I don't really understand your statement, Wizard. There are possessive nouns, possessive adjectives, and possessive pronouns.
Possessive nouns are
A book's pages
A flower's petals
The classroom's blackboard
I guess using a body part with the possessive in English would be
The body's color
The leg's bruises
The ear's piercing
These phrases sound a little funny in English
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Describing possessive adjectives and pronouns you can contrast the two sentences
My book is large. (adjective, describes book)
Yours is small. (pronoun, takes the place of noun)
With clothing, body parts and other personal items: It is very common to use the definite article in Spanish in cases where a possessive adjective (such as "your") would be used in English. Examples:
¡Abre los ojos! (Open your eyes!)
Perdió los zapatos. (He lost his shoes.)
Quote: pacomartinI don't really understand your statement, Wizard.
I'm just saying that every source on Spanish grammar I have seen says that body parts are never possessive in Spanish. This includes a source you quoted yesterday. I'm not sure why you're going after me about it.
Fecha: 29-05-12
Palabra: Fregar
Today's SWD means to wash. How does that differ from lavar, I'm sure you're wondering. I don't know exactly, but it seems that fregar is more likely to be used for cleaning things, and lavar for cleaning people.
In the context I found fregar it referred to washing dishes.
Ejemplo time.
Mientras fui fregando las ventanas, me caí de la escalera. = While washing the windows, I fell off the ladder.
Quote: pacomartinIf you speak French, then you at least be aware of the use of the word for "dry" to mean abruptly.
My French knowledge didn't go that far, or if it did, I have since forgotten it. I haven't used French for 15 or 16 years; I just recall being taught that you were not to use possessives with body parts, even when talking about your own arm or leg or whatever. But when we went to Paris and Geneva, the locals said the opposite was true.
Quote: WizardToday's SWD means to wash. How does that differ from lavar, I'm sure you're wondering.
Not quite. It means to wash by means of rubbing something against something else or against itself.
In Mexico every home with a laundry room has a concrete basin with a washboard built in the bottom. this is called a "fregadero," and it's used for hand-washing clothes by rubbing them against the washboard.
In Mexico the verb "fregar" also means "molestar."
Quote:In the context I found fregar it referred to washing dishes.
Technically so, but you won't hear many people talk about "fregar los platos," if any.
Quote:Mientras fui fregando las ventanas, me caí de la escalera. = While washing the windows, I fell off the ladder.
"Mientras fregaba las ventanas...."
But I also wouldn't use "fregar" in connection with windows. Nor can I think of many washboard related injuries :)
Quote: WizardMientras fui fregando las ventanas, me caí de la escalera. = While washing the windows, I fell off the ladder.
Would you use the Preterite with mientras?
Mientras que yo era fregando las ventanas....
Palabra: Discutir
Today's SWD means to argue.
You might think that the word for argument would be discutira, but it isn't. Rather it is argumento. The question for the advanced readers is why doesn't discutira mean argument? Think about it. Mentir means to lie and mentira is a lie, so if discutir is to argument, shouldn't discutira mean an argument?
Ejemplo time.
No quiero discutir; no quiero debatir. No quiero oír de cual clase de comida odias. = I don't want to argue; I don't want to debate. I don't want to hear what kind of food you hate.
Trivia time: Name that song.
Quote: WizardI'm just saying that every source on Spanish grammar I have seen says that body parts are never possessive in Spanish. This includes a source you quoted yesterday. I'm not sure why you're going after me about it.
I wasn't going after you, I was simply looking for clarification. There are possessive nouns, possessive adjectives, and possessive pronouns. Since the article was talking about possessive adjectives, I must assume that is what you mean.
Quote: NowTheSerpentQuote: WizardMientras fui fregando las ventanas, me caí de la escalera. = While washing the windows, I fell off the ladder.
Would you use the Preterite with mientras?
Mientras que yo era fregando las ventanas....
NowTheSerpent is using the correct tense, but he has the grammatical name wrong. The verb "era" is the imperfect, and "fui" is the preterite.
Nareed also used the imperfect tense, but not the continuous form that we use in English...
Mientras fregaba las ventanas....
I honestly don't know if the continuous is wrong, or if it is just awkward.
Quote: pacomartinQuote: NowTheSerpentQuote: WizardMientras fui fregando las ventanas, me caí de la escalera. = While washing the windows, I fell off the ladder.
Would you use the Preterite with mientras?
Mientras que yo era fregando las ventanas....
NowTheSerpent is using the correct tense, but he has the grammatical name wrong. The verb "era" is the imperfect, and "fui" is the preterite.
Incidentally, my question was not, "Wouldn't you use the Preterite with mientras?", and is mientras que actually proper or preferred, or is mientras alone standard? I was assuming that all subordinate clauses must be introduced by explicit que, but is this universally so?
Quote: WizardNo quiero discutir; no quiero debatir. No quiero oír de cual clase de comida odias. = I don't want to argue; I don't want to debate. I don't want to hear what kind of food you hate.
Trivia time: Name that song.
What melody did the same "singer" use to satirize "The Phantom Menace"?
Quote: WizardYou might think that the word for argument would be discutira, but it isn't. Rather it is argumento.
"Discutir" also means "to discuss." "Argumento" means "argument," but it also means the gist or theme of a literary work (surprise!)
Anyway, when you talk about two people having a verbal fight, which is what most people mean when they use the verb "to argue," you do not resort to "discutir" in Spanish. You'd go with terms like "pelear" or "argumentar."
"Discutir" has a mixed usage. On one hadn it applies to less emotionally charged subjects, like a scientific discussion, but also to highly charged subjects like political discussions. Also, if someone tries to argue a point, say about work or strategy, when you've amde up your mind and don't want to hear anything further ont he subject, you'd shut the person up by saying "¡No discutas!" or maybe "Ya no quiero discutir."
Quote:No quiero discutir; no quiero debatir. No quiero oír de cual clase de comida odias. = I don't want to argue; I don't want to debate. I don't want to hear what kind of food you hate.
"...No quiero oir que clase de comida odias."
But that's a bit too formal, so "...no quiero oir que comida odias."
Quote: Nareed"Discutir" also means "to discuss."
I don't dispute that, but Reverso says it also means "argue." In the context I found it, the word was used as a translation of argue.
Quote: pacomartinI wasn't going after you, I was simply looking for clarification. There are possessive nouns, possessive adjectives, and possessive pronouns. Since the article was talking about possessive adjectives, I must assume that is what you mean.
The article was walking about possessive articles. Here it is again.
-- linkQuote: 10 Grammatical Mistakes You Can AvoidBut in Spanish, the definite article (el or la) is used when the person the body part or item belongs to is obvious. Correct: ¡Abre los ojos! (Open your eyes!) El hombre se puso la camisa. (The man put on his shirt.)
