[Course Forum] First 5000 Words of Spanish: Top Up #6 by ian_mn

Community-Created Courses Spanish (Castilian/Spain)
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@checkermaster I think I fixed the problem of the “missing word” - so you should now be seeing 1056 / 1056 words learned and “Course Complete!”.

I don’t really understand how the system works, but I deleted an unwanted item from the course database (el preparativo) that had originally been in TU#6 but I had deleted from the actual course some time ago as it was already adequately covered in the TU#5 as los preparativos.

Thanks due to @RobertKnight8a for suggesting it could be a course database issue.

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Thank you. That indeed fixed the problem. Much appreciated.

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23

Would you mind checking “ir de copeo?” This entry now has both the clue and the answer as “ir de copeo.” Thank you.

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Thanks, yes - I must have introduced an error during a recent edit.

The corrected version now reads (Level 4):

ir de copeo = to go out for a few drinks (…c…)

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L4 canguro = babysitter

My take is that the primary translation should be ‘kangaroo’.

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Thanks - I’ve edited this one to read:

el canguro = babysitter (Sp.); kangaroo

27

A couple of queries in level 2:
tener pinta = to look as if
Note sure about the ‘as if’. The dictionaries (Wordreference & Collins) says: _to be good looking, look good. There’s an entry for tener pinta de=to have the appearance of, to look like
destituir=to demote
The dictionaries seems to suggest something stronger: dismiss, relieve of position, sack, fire, whereas demote is translated as degradar.
descolgar=to take off the hook etc
Perhaps the primary translation for this should be ‘to take down, lower’, the telephone references being secondary. Maybe the telephone association came about from the days of having telephones on the wall.

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Hi, I’m not sure either. This one came directly from the source*, and may be indicating an uncommon translation. I’ve decided to change the definition to your first suggestion, so the item now reads:

L2: tener pinta = to be good looking; to look good

I’m a bit overloaded with work right now, but I’ll look at your other suggestions during this week. I appreciate your help, as always.

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I agree - the item now reads:

Level 2: destituir = to dismiss, to remove from office

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Agreed - the item is now:

level 2: descolgar = to take down, lower; to pick up (the phone)

It turns out that one of the translations of the related verb “colgar” is to hang up (the phone). These translations are probably becoming quickly outdated, I’m guessing.

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"These translations are probably becoming quickly outdated, I’m guessing."
Not sure I agree with this. I think they just sort of morph e.g. we still say ‘pick up’ and ‘hang up’ to mean ‘connect’ and ‘disconnect’ respectively even when using a mobile with an earpiece.

'Have noted alternate use of colgar!

As always, thanks for the speedy reply despite being busy.

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Here’s another couple for your consideration:
bañarse=to go for a swim
Primarily, bañarse means to bathe oneself i.e take a bath. When it is used to mean swim, it means something more like messing about in the water. ICP tells me nadar is used for the exercise of swimming in a swimming pool, a more dedicated activity, whereas bañarse can mean going into the water just to cool off e.g. by floating in the water. The translation depends on context.
la consumición=beverage
As I understand it, consumición means consumption, but its use seems to be restricted to that consumed in a bar or restaurante and as such, could refer to the intake of food or drink. In some settings, it may be used to mean just beverage.

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I think that’s a good point, and I’ve changed this item to:

Level 4: bañarse = to take a bath; to go for a swim (b…)

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Not sure about this one. It looks like the more common translation of “consumption” is “el consumo”, which appears in Level 19 of the xoviat 5000 course. The word “la consumición” appears to be relatively rare, but aslo means a drink in a restaurant, as you suggest - so I’ve changed the item to:

Level 4: la consumición = drink (in a restaurant); consumption

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Ian,
A few notes for your consideration:
L3: ilusionado=excited - marked as a noun
L7: el video musical=music video
video v vídeo: I gather both forms are accepted by the RAE. The difference is regional i.e. vídeo (Sp), video (LAm). Could you add the region.
L12: el marcagoles=striker (football/soccer player)
I can’t find this word in Wordreference and when I google it, the only reference seems to be for a blogger/magazine re football, or a surname (which I think was made up). As two separate words e.g. ‘marca goles’ it appears frequently. [I was trying to distinguish it from ‘casillero’].
Many thanks

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The item came from: http://www.learningspanish-spain.com/basic-spanish-vocabulary/
I can’t find “marcagoles” anywhere else (in dictionaries or in freq lists) - so I’ve deleted the item from the course. I also deleted the reference to “marcagoles” in the “casillero” definition.

L3: ilusionado=excited - marked as a noun → now fixed

I’ll look at “video v vídeo” next. There are several compound forms included in the Top Ups that I need to look at.

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I added “Lat Am” to this definition, and also to the definition of “la cámara de video” in Level 13.

Meanwhile, I added “Sp.” to the definition of “el vídeo” in the xoviat 5000 course, Level 54.

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Thanks for the changes.
Phew! Just finished #6. For me, it was more difficult than the previous ones so I have a feeling of triumph.
Some time ago, you recommended Jenny Petrow’s Demystifying Spanish. I’m guessing that I’m at Intermediate level now and currently struggling with relative pronouns. Would this help do you think?

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39

Hi, I also found #6 to be more difficult than the first five. And I’ve found #7 and #8 to be much easier than #6. I think #7 and #8 are made easier through an increasing concentration of cognates, as well as word family “members” showing up (e.g. regular adverbs, when you already know the corresponding adjective).

I’m about half way through #9 and it’s the most difficult so far (but worth the trouble, I think).

Anyway, I like two popular grammar books.

Petrow: “Spanish Demystified” (second edition). The content of the third edition appears to be identical, but comes without a CD, and has a slightly different cover design.

Bregstein: “Complete Spanish Step-by-Step”. This single volume is actually a combination (no change to content) of her two earlier books: “Easy Spanish Step-By-Step” and “Advanced Spanish Step-by-Step”. I have the earlier two-volume set which I prefer, as I generally carry only one volume when I’m reviewing some grammar in a coffee shop etc.

The Petrow and Bregstein books are similar in coverage and contain lots of example phrases/sentences. In fact, I tend to try to learn the examples rather than explicitly trying to memorise the grammar rules. And both authors use an easy-going journalistic style, which I like. I’m sure either book would clear up your pronoun questions.

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Thanks Ian. I’ve ordered Spanish Demystified and see how I get on with that.
It’s good to know #7 & #8 are easier that #6. For me, the difficultly with #6 was remembering some of the past participles used as adjectives; my grasp is still a little tentative.
#9 looks v. interesting.