Saturday, December 12, 2009

Soñar con / pensar en

Thanks Domi for the following addition via e-mail:

I really like Soñar con: "To dream about"

I dream about you every night.
Sueño contigo cada noche.

However, when you're awake you "pensar en" ("to think about")

I think about you every day.
Pienso en ti cada día.

:)

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Joshua from Seattle shared this one: "llevar a cabo"

I received the following email from the USA, with a new example of a Spanish phrasal verb:

I wanted to let you know that I really like the blog that you've started. Is it true that there are people who insist that there are no phrasal verbs in Spanish? I can't imagine that anyone could claim that, considering the importance of prepositions in the language and the fact that they can be used to completely change the meaning of a verb rather than merely direct the verb's main definition. Anyway, I was a bit surprised that "llevar a cabo" (to carry out) has not found a place in your blog yet. I find it to be a wonderful example of a phrasal verb whose translation is also one.

Yes, Joshua, there are people who say there is no such thing as a phrasal verb, or anything similar, in the Spanish language. But any day now I expect the RAE will succumb to the might of those of us on this blog and join us in spreading the word that, unlike Santa Claus and Los Reyes Magos, Spanish Phrasal Verbs really do exist.

Meanwhile, thanks for the addition, amigo!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Tengo que decir que te tengo por un genio. = I have to say that I think you are a genius.

Tener que = To have to (This one's another case of a Spanish phrasal verb having an English phrasal verb as a translation.)

Tenerse por = To think; to be of the opinon

P.S. Thanks La Traductora and Erica for leaving other examples of Spanish phrasal verbs in the comments section under the previous post.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Jean from Chile is responsible for this one: responder de/por

I received the following email, with a new phrasal verb:

Hola

Muy interesante tu blog. Felicitaciones

Aquí te dejo otro verbo que para mi parece un phrasal verb

Responder de

While responder means "to answer" or "to reply", responder de/por means "to be responsible for".

For example:
Alicia repondió/contestó a la pregunta correctamente

Alicia respondió por/pagó por los daños

Jean (Chile)


Thanks, Jean!

Sunday, April 20, 2008

I just found this one! / Acabo de encontrar esto.

acabar de + verb in infinitive form = to have just done something

Acabo de oirlo. = I just heard it.

You can count on these: contar con; confiar en; constar de

contar con and confiar en = to count on

contar con and constar de = to have, to include

Saturday, April 19, 2008

I'm revealing "Hacer constar"

Hacer constar = to reveal, to declare, to publish, to make known

Friday, March 7, 2008

Llegar a ser = become

llegar a ser = a Spanish phrasal verb that means "to become" / un verbo phrasal que significa "to become."

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Hurry up! We need more Spanish phrasal verbs!

to hurry up = darse prisa

Speaking of "giving up" part 2

How about "dejar de" as in "dejar de fumar" (to give up smoking)?

Speaking of "giving up",

what about "perder la esperanza" or "to lose hope." Ok, I won't!

I was about to give up... / Estuve a punto de rendirme...

...when I thought of "estar a punto de" (to be about to)

OK, I'm ready to be overwhelmed with other examples. So, leave your comments, folks!