what does this mean? losiento chica

Thanks in advance

I speak fairly good Spanish and I thought I could say anything I needed to say. However, when I checked into a Hotel in Costa Rica, I wanted to ask the desk clerk: What time is check out time? I had to say "A que hora tengo que pagar otra vez para la habitacion mañana?" She understood, but looked a little confused by my question.

How do you say "check-out time" at a hotel?

Thanks in advance.

I'm sorry -- this is my first post. I think I posted in the wrong place or something. I think this is the place to answer questions, not ask them.

Jonegy

Nope - It looks to be in the right place to me......... However...

Tut, tut, tut...................

You had the perfect opportunity.........

When you realised she understood what you meant.............

You should have asked something along the lines of " como se dice....." - I always found that asking for the exact phrase from the native speaker was appreciated - and also stayed in your brain.

As you can see - I have no idea what-so-ever - but at the point where understanding was reached - I would cerainly have asked how they said it properly.

Having that second language is not just an asset - it is FUN - and languages change over the years - and getting the up-to -date version from a native is priceless.


Hopefully Susy (being the expert) will put us both out of our misery and give us the proper phrase.

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A little tip from someone pretty well travelled - never be afraid of "looking the fool"

Ask the stupid questions - it doesn't matter how "good" you speak the language - you will never speak it as good as the natives - but they will almost always help you and keep you out of trouble.

In fact -- in foreign airports - I have missed flights through my own stupd fault - gone to the desk and explained what a stupid S.O.B. I have been and been rewarded with tickets for a hotel and a meal ( Neither of wihich I deserved) and an up-dated ticket for the next morning's flight. (The last time I did this was in Paris - and they [supposedly] do not like the Englsih)

---------------

You say your Spanish is "good"...................

.................think how much better it could have become

BobbyC

Thanks in Advance,

Jonesy is right when traveling always ask. I remember traveling to Germany. If the natives knew you were trying to speak their language, but were having a difficult time, they would help you out and I would also ask for the correct pronouciations. They really enjoyed helping one out.
But getting to your question on check-out of hotel, you had the "hora" right for time. Check-out is "salida". So your question would have been if checking out the next day, " A que hora es la salida del hotel mañana"?

Davidmex

yup "lo siento chica" means i'm sorry girl. who told you this.

Starman

The word "man" and "boy" and "girl"can be defined as referring to an adult and a boy.
But that's not the way they are very often used in English where "man" has nothing to do with a person's age as neither does the word "boy"

examples:

Don't mess with me boy!
Hey man you have any change?
Sic im Cujo! Go get im boy!
Diamonds are a girl's best friend.


The words chica and chico are short for chiquita and chiquito which means small. Ella es chiquita.=She is small. El es chiquito.= He is small. When truncated into chica or Chico, however, they can refer to a person's age "Ella es una chica." She is a young person. "El es is un chico." He is a young person. The age range covered by this usage may include adolescents on the verge of adulthood. The reason for this is that it might be based on the observation of foolish conduct considered typical of inexperienced youth and the adolescent thus seen might be tagged that way because of it. Or perhaps simply because the person using it is a much older and sees the other person in that particular light.

However, the word's usage involves much more.

For example, when spoken after offending someone, the word "chica" or "chico" has very little to do with the age of the person being addressed and has everything to do with the intended emotion to be conveyed toward the person. Actually, if one isn't careful, "chico" or"chica" and adds it after having hurt someone either physically or emotionally it might come accross as being either insincere, annoyed, rude, since it might carry the message that the person to whom it is addressed is complaining unnecessarily. In short, it is usually an annoyed response to a complaint and is understood that way by the Hispanic person being addressed and will elicit anger for being victimized and then addressed with the "chica" appellation. But as is true of many other words, it depends on how it is said.

"Chico" Or Chica" is also used as an intensifier when one is appealing to someone to stop doing something annoying or else is being in some way obnoxious as in being unreasonable.

Deja eso chico! Deja eso chica!

In this context the person addressed this way understands it as part of a supplication to desist. But the way he takes it depends on the tone of voice, mocking, annoyed, bored, angered, friendly, supplicating, flirtatious, ironic, sarcastic, which the speaker might be using and the attendant body language.

If the word chica or chico is used to refer to age, then the context of the sentence will indicate it.

elena hammons

i agree, except "chica" just means girl (slang for)

jackdaniels

Hi. " LO SIENTO CHICA " means something like " SORRY GIRL...". imagine u watching a movie and the actor turns his back to a girl and tell SORRY GIRL after stealing her mobile . . . thats the point

shizukamelodi

it means i am sorry girl. siento is the verb to feel but together with the *lo* it means i am sorry. i live in spain so i can speak spanish and english