Idiomatic expressions and grammar essentials

[Marianopolita]

Dicho popular-

Here is an example of -un dicho popular. Spanish and many other languages are full of expressions and proverbs that are used on a daily basis and add a lot flavour to the language as well as to the way a person speaks. Every speaker whether it's a person that speaks English, Spanish, French, Italian etc has a unique form of expression. Some people have simple speech, others have eloquent or sophisticated speech and some change their style of speaking to suit their audience or situation.

Knowing how to use these expressions and understanding them is important because they are used daily in the Spanish-speaking world (not just in the DR) and if you don't understand them you will feel lost in a conversation quite fast or when reading literature of any kind.

Having stated the above, I was just glancing through Hoy Digital and there is a popular saying in an article which prompted me to post this example. Ex-president Leonel Fern?ndez describes his current state of affairs.

Leonel Fern?ndez dice que es un ?presidente desempleado?
Gir? una visita a la exalcaldesa de Boca Chica
Escrito por: DIOGENES TEJADA
Andr?s. Boca Chica. ?Estoy vivito y coleando, aunque soy un presidente desempleado?. Estas fueron las palabras que del expresidente Leonel Fern?ndez Reyna la noche del jueves, al girar una visita de cortes?a a la residencia de la exalcaldesa del municipio de Boca Chica, Joselyn Pe?a.

El exmandatario permaneci? en la zona por espacio de dos horas y 30 minutos, donde sostuvo encuentros con el alcalde de La Caleta, Jes?s Mercedes, la alta instancia del Partido de la Liberaci?n Dominicana (PLD) en la zona, dirigentes comunitarios y el pelotero Rafael Soriano.

Fern?ndez Reyna recogi? inquietudes de decenas de comunitarios y dirigentes pol?ticos sobre obras y necesidades del municipio de Boca Chica, Andr?s y zonas aleda?as, que prometi? tramitar con el actual mandatario, Danilo Medina.

Leonel Fern?ndez* dice que es un*


If you can recognize the different types of expressions in Spanish then you are on the right track.

• Idiomatic expressions
• Popular sayings (idioms) or Dichos/ Frases populares- eg. Estar vivito y coleando (from the newspaper article)
• Proverbs

-MP.

 

[pollogringo]

Here is an example of -un dicho popular. Spanish and many other languages are full of expressions and proverbs that are used on a daily basis and add a lot flavour to the language as well as to the way a person speaks. Every speaker whether it's a person that speaks English, Spanish, French, Italian etc has a unique form of expression. Some people have simple speech, others have eloquent or sophisticated speech and some change their style of speaking to suit their audience or situation.

Knowing how to use these expressions and understanding them is important because they are used daily in the Spanish-speaking world (not just in the DR) and if you don't understand them you will feel lost in a conversation quite fast or when reading literature of any kind.

Having stated the above, I was just glancing through Hoy Digital and there is a popular saying in an article which prompted me to post this example. Ex-president Leonel Fern?ndez describes his current state of affairs.



Leonel Fern?ndez* dice que es un*


If you can recognize the different types of expressions in Spanish then you are on the right track.

• Idiomatic expressions
• Popular sayings (idioms) or Dichos/ Frases populares- eg. Estar vivito y coleando (from the newspaper article)
• Proverbs

-MP.

I'm still alive and kicking.

 

[Marianopolita]

The subjunctive is a difficult grammatical concept for foreigners especially for those who have not had any real exposure to it and if they do not speak another Latin language coupled with the fact that it has almost disappeared completely from English. Elements of it are still there but listen to those who use it (knowingly or not) tend to be good (English) speakers in general (this is my observation and experience only).

When you read a newspaper in Spanish other than reading the article for its content and information how much attention do you pay to the grammar in the article? Basically, reading newspapers is one way to get free language learning and enhancement if you choose to use it for that purpose. You also get to observe the blunders, grammatical and proofreading errors as well some awkward and even colloquial sentence structure. However, the bottom line is after reading an article look up grammatical concepts if you need to understand why a certain verb, verbal phrase, idiomatic expression etc was used. Look up any unknown vocabulary. Empower yourself for the next article you read in Spanish.

After having read this article, I thought it would be good to post it because it exemplifies good usage of the subjunctive and proper grammatical Spanish in general.

_____________________________________________

Fotos: Miguel Cabrera espera otra buena temporada en las Grandes Ligas - Deportes | ?ltimas Noticias

AP | ?N.- Dado que no existe la cuarta corona en el b?isbol, ser? muy dif?cil para Miguel Cabrera superar su actuaci?n de 2012.

El venezolano se ha presionado mucho a s? mismo para ayudar a los Tigres a ganar, pero cuando se trata de logros individuales, su estrategia resulta bastante sencilla.

"Siempre creo que uno puede ser constante'', dijo. "No s? si uno va a mejorar, pero mi **** siempre ha sido ser constante''.

Cabrera ha hecho que eso parezca asombrosamente f?cil.

La temporada pasada, el tercera base de los Tigres de Detroit se convirti? en el primer ganador de la triple corona en 45 a?os y por incre?ble que parezca, su promedio de bateo fue 14 puntos superior una campa?a antes. El venezolano ha bateado por debajo del promedio de .320 solamente una vez en los ?ltimos ocho a?os, y peg? menos de 30 cuadrangulares s?lo en una temporada de las ?ltimas nueve.

Nada es seguro en un deporte tan inconstante como el b?isbol, pero las aportaciones de Cabrera se est?n convirtiendo en algo rutinario.

"Dar algo por sentado probablemente no sea la mejor manera de decirlo, pero s? que va a hacerlo bien estoy bastante seguro de eso'', dijo su manager, Jim Leyland. "Creo que uno simplemente adquiere la habilidad de reconocer qu? tan buenos son los jugadores de Grandes Ligas y cuando se ve a uno que es un jugador muy especial... nos sentimos muy afortunados''.

Los Tigres sostuvieron su primer entrenamiento con el equipo completo el viernes en una h?meda ma?ana en Lakeland, terminando con un ajetreado per?odo entre campa?as para Cabrera. Inici? tarde porque Detroit lleg? a la Serie Mundial el a?o pasado, y luego que Cabrera bate? para .330 con 44 cuadrangulares y 139 carreras remolcadas y gan? la triple corona y el premio al jugador m?s valioso de la Liga Americana, hubo que atender entrevistas y otros asuntos.

Incluso el campo de entrenamiento ser? diferente a lo normal debido al Mundial de b?isbol del pr?ximo mes. Esa pausa implica que sea m?s importante para Cabrera entrenar lo m?s que se pueda desde el principio.

La temporada pasada, Cabrera pas? de la primera a la tercera base, y a?n hay mucho que ?l desear?a mejorar defensivamente.

"Tratar de mejorar en el primer paso lado a lado, para desacelerar las roletas'', dijo.

Al plato, por supuesto, Cabrera no tiene una debilidad evidente. Su poderoso y s?lido bateo de derecha puede causar da?o a cualquier lanzador en la zona de strike. En un partido en junio frente a los Yanquis de Nueva York, peg? un cuadrangular hacia la plataforma de las c?maras a lo profundo del jard?n central. El mes siguiente, su jonr?n 300 sali? disparado hacia la hiedra en esa misma zona en el Comerica Park.

Pero adem?s hay detalles m?s sutiles en su manera de batear.

The phrases I underlined either have a verb in the subjunctive, a good grammatical point or an idiomatic expression. An article like this is a perfect one to use to analyze the usage of the subjunctive.


-MP.

 

[Marianopolita]

.....


One error I see in List?n Diario all the time is they spell the Haitian leader's last name incorrectly quite often. I see Martelli in the headlines instead of Martelly or even Martinelli when they mean Martelly. That's really bad because they are confusing him with Panama's president, Ricardo Martinelli.

-MP.

My name is Michel Martelly


What is it with Michel Martelly's name and Dominican newspapers? Not only did they spell his last name wrong again but now they wrote his first name in English- Michael which is the equivalent of Michel. I have never heard Michel Martelly refer to himself as Michael even when speaking to English representatives or dignitaries of other countries. The spelling of a person's name is important and should be written correctly. I just can't believe how many times in a DR paper I have seen his name written incorrectly.

Exhortan apoyo Hait? se haga v?a el Gobierno
GINEBRA. SUIZA.

“La comunidad internacional debe escuchar el llamado del presidente Michael Martelli en cuanto a que su apoyo a la naci?n haitiana se exprese a trav?s del Estado. No es posible que se inviertan miles de millones de d?lares a trav?s de la sociedad civil cuando el Estado Haitiano est? ?vido de recursos para consolidar su institucionalidad e invertir en infraestructuras para el desarrollo de su gente y su futuro.”

En estos t?rminos se pronunci? Jos? Ricardo Taveras, Director General de Migraci?n al intervenir.

Exhortan apoyo Hait? se haga v?a el Gobierno - ElNacional.com.do

Keeping with the theme of the thread some appropriate expressions and/ or proverbs would be:

Ver es creer- seeing is believing- yet another incorrect spelling of Martelly's name
De mal en peor- the issue is indeed going from bad to worse- Michael Martelli (?)



-MP.

 

[Norma Rosa]

Comma? What is that? Relax...
Let me show a something I just read in El listin diario:
"En tanto que para la OIT[Missing Comma] los dos retos principales que tiene Rep?blica Dominicana es [Wrong verbal form. There are 2 retos not one] emprender una modernizaci?n productiva mediante la inversi?n empresarial de alto valor agregado y una ampliaci?n de la gama de exportaci?n."

The writer would get a F in grammar without doubt.

Organismos observan*alta burocracia en RD - listindiario.com

I found this [these] things all the time...Sometimes I tried to read el Pais, and I wonder what the heck is going on with sentences that sound like german than andaluz!.....I guess that due to the rush to print, they are not paying much attention. Likewise, some like me, I am very careless writting in forums...LOL

I agree; you are careless.