Ask Me Help Desk

Ask Me Help Desk (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forum.php)
-   Languages (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=189)
-   -   Anyone speak spanish? (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=27416)

  • Jun 7, 2006, 08:09 AM
    nymphetamine
    Anyone speak spanish?
    What does this mean? Losiento chica
  • Jun 7, 2006, 08:25 AM
    JoeCanada76
    Hello My wife's family is spanish. My wife speaks a little of it. As far as the first word not sure. Chica means small, or small girl. I tried looking up the other word. By separating the first word I came up with I feel like. Hope this helps.

    Joe
  • Jun 7, 2006, 08:35 AM
    kp2171
    Lo siento chica

    Have had some spanish, don't really speak it so others will need to correct me.

    If I remember correctly this should be something like an apology... like if they made a mistake and were saying sorry for the mistake...
  • Jun 7, 2006, 08:40 AM
    colbtech
    http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr gives: -

    "I feel girl"

    Rather worrying translation!
  • Jun 7, 2006, 08:57 AM
    marshallzulu
    Lo siento means I am sorry.
    This are two words not one.
  • Jun 7, 2006, 11:04 AM
    JoeCanada76
    So it could also mean I am sorry little girl. Or I am sorry small girl.
    My wife is going to ask her family for sure, but there were a couple of different meanings. I feel like a small girl.
  • Jun 7, 2006, 11:07 AM
    JoeCanada76
    Colbech,

    The thing with translations sites is they do not translated 100 percent correctly. I know this because my spanish cousin was here with me and I was trying to figure things out and she said there were lots of mistakes with the translations. It also depends on how you say it which could effect the meaning. So do not take meanings out of context.
  • Jun 7, 2006, 07:04 PM
    Jonegy
    "Sorry dear" - "Excuse me darling" or in north of England speak - where we call everyone and anyone "love" it would be a casual "Sorry love" - for a mistake or mishap of some kind.

    Not too hot on the old "castillano" these days so I will stand corrrected and be appreciative of the correction (we never stop learning) ;)
  • Jun 10, 2006, 01:00 PM
    susy
    Lo Siento Chica Means "I'm Sorry Girl" . That's It. I Know Because My Native Language Is Spanish.
  • Jun 10, 2006, 03:23 PM
    Jonegy
    Yes - word for word translation - I am sorry girl.

    However in the english language on both sides of the Atlantic - and to the best of my knowledge - wherever it is the daily spoken language - I think you will find that the term "girl" and also "boy" - when used directly to the person being spoken to - especially if not familiar with that person - would be derogatory; i.e. - as if speaking to a servant.

    If you accidentally bump into a girl on the street you aro not going to say " I am sorry girl". In the UK, as mentioned earlier, we have many many terms of endearment that we use daily with strangers - and 99.9% of the time one of these would be used, including "hen" in Soctland - "pet" In the northeast of England - "love" and "duck" in the mdilands - and in London and the south it is not uncommon to hear "Sorry darling".

    As you say Helper - it is all in the translation - and to do this successfully you have to be reasonalby knowledgeable in both languages.

    I would certainly NOT recommend to someone from Spain or the Latin countries to use there term "girl" or "boy" in this context.

    As I said earlier, my Castilliano is a little rusty but I do converse most days of the week in Portuguese with family and friends on the web.

    At the end of the day, it isn't the translation of the words that count - it is the translation of the idea.

    Incedently - when I am shopping in Brazil I regularly call the shop assistants "amor", which although not 100% politically correct - certainly gets me good service and a smile. ;) :D
  • Jul 8, 2006, 12:03 PM
    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 maņana?" 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.:o
  • Jul 8, 2006, 04:46 PM
    Jonegy
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by 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 maņana?" 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.:o

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

    ;) Tut, tut, tut...

    You had the perfect opportunity... :D

    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.

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

    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 ;)
  • Jul 14, 2006, 11:56 AM
    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 maņana"?
  • Jul 27, 2006, 12:20 PM
    Davidmex
    Yup "lo siento chica" means I'm sorry girl. Who told you this.
  • Sep 20, 2006, 01:10 AM
    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 I'm Cujo! Go get I'm 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 across 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.
  • Jan 17, 2007, 09:01 AM
    elena hammons
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by nymphetamine
    what does this mean? losiento chica

    I agree, except "chica" just means girl (slang for)
  • Jun 23, 2007, 09:32 AM
    jackdaniels
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by nymphetamine
    what does this mean? losiento chica

    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.. . That's the point
  • Jul 3, 2007, 02:45 AM
    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

  • All times are GMT -7. The time now is 04:50 PM.