EnglishisEasy/Elinglésesfácil

"Can I be held ACCOUNTABLE for all these lightbulbs?" ACCOUNTABILITY is said to translate as RESPONSABILIDAD, and it is but not completely. For example, Ecuadorian politicians use ploys to avoid ACCOUNTABILITY for their actions . In Spanish: Los políticos ecuatorianos usan tácticas para evitar RESPONSABILIDAD por sus acciones . This translation is only acceptable because it is somewhat lacking. A much better option would be: Los políticos ecuatorianos usan tácticas para evitar HACERSE RESPONSABLES de sus acciones . HACERSE RESPONSABLE DE ALGO, ACEPTAR or ASUMIR RESPONSABILIDAD POR ALGO express more accurately in Spanish the real meaning of this word in English.      

So this  "So, this DIZQUE term is often used when gossiping. Can you believe it?" D IZQUE is an interesting word in Spanish since it is really the contraction of the expression SE DICE QUE (IT'S SAID THAT). DIZQUE can function as an adverb and also an adjective. when it's an adverb, it means SUPPOSEDLY or APPARENTLY. She was sick, APPARENTLY. --> Ella DIZQUE estaba enferma.   The word DIZQUE in this case has a connotation. The speaker could have used the term APPARENTLY, but the fact that DIZQUE was preferred indicates the speaker thinks it's a lie. This is why DIZQUE is more often used when gossiping. When DIZQUE is an adjective, it translates as SO-CALLED. There is that SO-CALLED lawyer, Bryan A. --> Ahí está ese DIZQUE abogado, Bryan A. DIZQUE and DISQUE may have similar sounds, but they are not the same since DISQUE is a verb in imperative form and it means: "DIAL!"      

"GEE! If I get any closer I'll fall down and drown!" GEE is an interjection mostly used in the United States that expresses mild astonishment, and it is little by little becoming archaic because fewer people are using it these days.  In Spanish, there are two interjections that are close in meaning and they are CARAMBA and CARAY. Just like GEE, these two words are becoming archaic in Spanish as well. Though not necessarily the same in meaning, these expressions are also possible: SANTO DIOS or DIOS MÍO. Funny, but also quite rare these days (you will find it only in the funny pages), there is also RECÓRCHOLIS.  

"Hey, where's my crab?" (only Ecuadorians will understand)   First of all, a judge cannot "Declare you guilty" since that is not what they do exactly (though there are cases in which judges must take upon themselves such prerogatives). A judge's role is, among several others, to give a proper sentence to those who have been FOUND GUILTY of some crime. The correct term is that precisely: TO FIND someone GUILTY  because it is the jury, not the judge who makes that decision.  The members of the jury (called jurors) decide on the facts presented and based on the evidence they FIND the defendant GUILTY or NOT GUILTY.

"I'm pregnant, not EMBARRASSED."      This is one of those situations when you must be careful if you are translating. The word EMBARRASSED is quite similar to another one in Spanish: Embarazada.  If one word in a language is spelled similarly to another one in Spanish and the meaning of both is the same, we call that a Cognate.  If the meaning is different, we call that a False Cognate. Embarazada is a False Cognate because it translates as Pregnant, not EMBARRASSED. The correct translation of EMBARRASSED in Spanish is AVERGONZADA or AVERGONZADO.

  "four, three, two, one...(I'm Ok, just playing Hide and Seek)" The word Deception does exist in English, but it does not mean DECEPCIÓN.  According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the meaning of Deception is "the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid something that is false or invalid."  The translation of Deception in Spanish is then Engaño , but not DECEPCIÓN. The Spanish word DECEPCIÓN refers to what you feel when you are unable to reach the goals you set for yourself or what you desired did not happen as you expected.  And that is plain DISAPPOINTMENT.

"This country is uncharted, oh, no... it's Ecuador"    One thing is for certain: Fuera del Mapa is not the best translation for UNCHARTED.  In fact, Fuera del Mapa is best translated as Off the Map, not UNCHARTED, but that is how the movie (yes, there is a movie with that title and a video game series) was introduced in the Spanish-speaking market. Synonyms of UNCHARTED are Unexplored, Undiscovered, Untraveled, and Unmapped. Among all those, the best possible translation would be INEXPLORADO or SIN DESCUBRIR.  

"Why do I feel like playing Tic Tac Toe all of a sudden?" MIERCOLES DE CENIZAS is ASH WEDNESDAY in English and is mostly a Catholic tradition. It is important because it marks the end of Carnival and the beginning of Lent. Lent commemorates the forty-day period Jesus spent fasting and praying in the desert. What Catholics do is attend mass on this day which is usually the first Wednesday in March. This mass event is different from others because there is one more rite added: the imposition of the sign of the Holy Cross on the attendees' foreheads. In order to draw the cross sign, catholic priests use ash, hence the name ASH WEDNESDAY. ASH WEDNESDAY also demands from observant Christians the practice of fasting and abstinence, but very few seem inclined to do so these days. 

"Don't have one... Ask me again in 2023, please."       The answer is nothing. To call or consider someone our Valentine is not something we do over Latin America.       We do offer presents and gifts to our beloved ones, but we do not assign them any specific term.       A similar thing is a game called El Amigo Secreto (Secret Santa), but for that, you need to keep your identity concealed until the moment you deliver your present onto your friend's hands. It is only then that you reveal your identity to your friend. so it's not really the same idea!      In any case, in both English and Spanish speaking countries this is not a holiday, but some sort of tradition that gives us the perfect excuse to give away presents to people who are special to us.     Happy Valentine!         

Another difference is the color: in the U.S. they seem to prefer white eggs. The answer is simple A DOZEN EGGS, but there is a problem. Once Spanish speakers learn that a DOCENA DE HUEVOS is a DOZEN EGGS, they tend to add the word OF like this: A DOZEN OF EGGS. It occurs more often than not. This curious phenomenon is called Mother Tongue Interference which happens when students transfer from L1 to L2. In Spanish we say: "UNA DOCENA DE HUEVOS" Unconsciously, then students fill that inexistent gap between the words DOZEN and EGGS by adding OF. If you are a teacher, be aware of this little thing and assume it is going to happen before it actually happens. You will save yourself and your students time and avoid unnecessary frustration!

  Al least air pollution decreased a little. I n Spanish, CONFINAMIENTO is a measure taken in order to reduce or prevent the widespread of a viral infection. The translation is not Confinement. In English, that word indicates the state or action of being confined so it is not the measure, but its result. The right translation for CONFINAMIENTO is then LOCKDOWN which is defined as an emergency situation in which people are not allowed to move freely for some imminent threat such as COVID 19 spread.

  "Ok, this is your list of things to do while mommy and daddy are away at their party, ok?"  PARENTING is PATERNIDAD? Yes and no. PATERNIDAD is really closer in meaning to Fatherhood or Paternity just like MATERNIDAD is Motherhood or Maternity. PARENTING is really both PATERNIDAD and MATERNIDAD. The term PARENTING is the raising of a child by both its parents or one of them. In Spanish, if that act is performed by a man is PATERNIDAD and if performed by a woman is called MATERNIDAD.  A term that is neuter just like PARENTING is doesn't exist in Spanish which is why perhaps the most appropriate translation is CRIANZA.

"And the principal of this school is called Eric Magnus a.k.a. Magneto!"  MAGNET SCHOOLS are specialized schools and like any regular school, there are elementary, middle, and high levels. These are educational institutions that focus on only one area of interest such as Mathematics and Physics or Biology and Chemistry, though some of them tend to cover more general contents such as International Baccalaureate schools. MAGNET SCHOOLS tend to have a hands-on approach in terms that their programs emphasize more practice than theory. Though the idea of MAGNET SCHOOLS exists in other countries, there is not a real translation of the term. It could be called ESCUELA IMÁN, but personally, I have never heard that expression before. Perhaps, ESCUELA ESPECIALIZADA would be a better option.  

"I told you I had only climbed Cerro Santa Ana before, but that's a hill, not a mountain!" SOROCHE is not a common word in Spanish, and it is only used in most Andean countries such as Ecuador, Perú, or Bolivia, though it is not as common in Chile, another Andean country. It is apparently a word taken from the Quechua, the language of the Incas, and used to refer to what we simply know as Mal de Montaña or Mal de Altura. That is precisely its translation in English: MOUNTAIN SICKNESS with ALTITUDE SICKNESS as a good alternative. What is MOUNTAIN SICKNESS exactly then? Basically, it happens if you expose yourself to high-elevation environments, low oxygen may cause breathing problems, disorientation, dizziness, headaches among several other symptoms. You may experience some discomfort or all the conditions mentioned before, it is different for every person. Best thing to do? Don't take unnecessary risks and visit the seaside.

Can you call it a MAIDEN VOYAGE without real maidens inside? Well, if you were considering Viaje de Doncella , that certainly is a no-no.  Of course, the translation is correct, but it is not what we say in Spanish.  Is there a specific expression as in English? Not really, we only say VIAJE INAUGURAL or just PRIMER VIAJE.  Another thing, in Spanish we never use the pronoun SHE to refer to vehicles such as cars or ships, they are objects (despite the affection we may feel for them), not people.  What we do share is the custom of naming ships with feminine names. Understandable, they are beautiful after all, just like all women are.  

 Oh, yes, definitely you can.  Especially, if you mean to say  the name of this country: So AISLAN is an AILAN? That country is called ICELAND, pronounced AISLAN in Spanish. To say ICELAND when you mean ISLAND is a common, but understandable and therefore predictable, mistake that Spanish speakers make when learning English.  It is better not to forget how to pronounce each word correctly so as to avoid awkward situations such as when you mention that The Galapagos are a group of ICELANDS!  

All these numbers and codes...it's like another language in itself, don't you think? T his is another example of what we know of False Cognates only the opposite way.  We know Hoja (Sheet) De (Of) and Cálculo (Calculation), but the sum of all those words: Sheet of Calculation is definitely not the right translation of HOJA DE CÁLCULO.  The right term is SPREADSHEET.  Practical, right? One word instead of three. Why in Spanish do we say the HOJA DE CÁLCULO? Well, because that is what is intended for: to make calculations. So, in Spanish, the purpose is clearly stated in the name.  Does SPREADSHEET do the same? I don't think so: Translation, more often than not, requires a deep understanding of the language and the culture that is connected to it.

  A Lousiana KINGCAKE looks a bit different from Latin American KINGCAKES. Yes, ROSCA DE REYES, at least in the state of Lousiana is called KINGCAKE or KING CAKE. This is a tradition usually observed among Catholics who in the United States are commonly French descendants mostly living in Lousiana, or Latin Americans.  They all share this tradition, but there is a substantial difference: the decoration. Traditional Lousiana KINGCAKES emphasize the presence of the following colors:  purple  that symbolizes justice, the  green  that symbolizes faith, and the  gold  that symbolizes power. Latin American KINGCAKES tend to look different, and if any, the colors associated are red and green . a Latin American KINGCAKE. KINGCAKE or KING CAKE are not the only terms to describe this delicious example of pastry. THREE KINGS' CAKE, KING'S CAKE or CROWN CAKE are also possible, and of course there are those who just call it by their original Spanish name (of course not in Lousiana): ROSCA

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?   

"And that partner of yours in Ecuador, Noboa, is he AFFLUENT?" AFFLUENT is another way to say rich, wealthy, prosperous. When you say that someone has no problems with money, in other words, he or she is rich and prosperous, we say in Spanish that someone has a POSICION ECONMICA HOLGADA. Of course, it's a long expression and saying AFFLUENT may not be enough. TO BE AFFLUENT is a more precise term to express the same idea in English.