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Showing posts from September, 2017

What's a BACHELOR in Spanish?

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"Hello, I'm a BACHELOR, and these are for you. You're a girl, right?"   If you think the word in Spanish is BACHILLER, you are right and not. The problem with this term is not the translation but the meaning it has, different in either language.  In English, a BACHELOR (female BACHELORETTE) is a young single man who has never been married. Also, a person with an undergraduate degree from a university is known as a BACHELOR. In Spanish, a BACHILLER is someone who has finished high school and nothing but. Usually, in Ecuador at least, after completing secondary studies a person receives a "Bachelor's Degree" that is really a certificate with no great value for job recruiters.  

How do you say MANDE? in English?

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Latinos be like ... If only for the direct translation, ¿MANDE? is COMMAND ME or TELL ME, but that is not the real meaning. In Ecuador, Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, it is customary to respond ¿MANDE? when someone of a higher rank, or one of your parents, calls you. Any other response is considered disrespectful, and though as of recent there are people questioning this old tradition, still it will be years before it disappears. In English MANDE? would be YES?   

What's COY in Spanish?

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"Am I being COY? But, of course. Can you not tell?" COY is one of those words that have more than one meaning, and for some mysterious reason, those meanings may seem disconnected.  The most common meaning associated with this word is Flirtatious. The idea is looking reserved, shy or vulnerable, but in a way that reveals is being done on purpose. Then, the right translation is COQUETA. COY also indicates there is a reluctance to show or accept something. You can be COY about sensitive information such as your age. In this case, COY would be RESERVADO in Spanish.