Of course, a translated message should always sound as natural as possible to readers. It should be smooth and comfortable, like the language they might use at home. But at the same time, you may need to reach a wider audience of Spanish speakers. How do you know which form of Spanish is best? In this article, we shed some light on the differences between Spanish variants and offer tips to help you plan your Spanish-language translation strategy.
Like other Romance languages, Spanish is a descendant of the informal form of Latin spoken in the Roman Empire. In the 3rd century BC, the Romans conquered the Iberian Peninsula comprising present-day Spain and Portugal , bringing with them their language.
The Arabic-speaking Moors later invaded the region, adding Arabic influences to the developing language. Over the centuries, Spanish continued to evolve on the Iberian Peninsula before making its leap across the ocean. In , Christopher Columbus and those who followed brought the language to the Americas, where it was propagated by the Spanish colonizers. Latin-American Spanish began developing independently of the Spanish spoken in Spain. Today, there are significant differences in the ways the languages are expressed, both in the written and spoken forms.
The differences, while important, are not enough to prevent communication. People from Spain can understand people from Latin American countries. Spanish speakers on both sides of the ocean take pride in their language and cultures. Naturally, when translating materials for Europeans, Spanish for Spain would be used. Spanish second-person pronouns have different levels of formality, and the means of addressing people can vary depending on location and dialect.
Once you decide to use the formal you in a conversation, ask yourself, are you talking to one person or more than one? The plural form of you formal in Spanish is usted. Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the main square? You who are present here met my mother. Ladies and gentlemen, you all know my humble trajectory. Are you talking to one single person in an informal context? Some countries allow more informality in your daily interactions, while others prefer formal language, for example in a professional job environment.
In Mexico, for example, you use the same pronoun to address a group of people formally and informally. In Spain, the informal plural you is vosotros or vosotras. You are not married. I left vos for the end, as only some countries use it. The second-person pronouns that you got to know today are just the first step. Second, subject pronouns are not the only ones that change.
You have your pencils for yourself only. Is it Spanish from Spain or Latin America? Spanish people also tend to be more informal in their social and professional relations. Latin American Spanish also varies from country to country, and you now know the vos form that you need in Argentina in some other countries.
Now that you know the theory behind the formal and informal you in Spanish, the key is to practice both forms in a conversation. If you want to learn something, you need to use it if your goal is to become fully bilingual. Only context will save you here! It appears when preceded by particular trigger words see examples that you will need to memorize. Necesito que me traigas un vaso. Learn more about this tense in our Subjunctive series. Two forms exist to express the imperfect subjunctive: -ra and -se.
The bad news? Le exigieron que aprendie se a manejar. They demanded that he learn how to drive. Estar tends to refer to temporary states of being and existence, while ser implies something is more permanent; however, plenty of exceptions will pop up along your journey to fluency!
Estoy en la cocina. But, watch out! In relation to English, Spanish has more false friends than cognates. Want to see some examples? Take a deep breath. In fact, English has more in common with French than any other language. Historically, French was the language of the governing class in England, while the proletariat spoke English.
Similar to English, French always uses the subject pronouns in their sentences. Use the second option particularly in formal language or after long prepositions or prepositional phrases:. When [which] refers to the whole of a preceding sentence or idea, translate as [lo que] or [lo cual]:. Apartment in Empuriabrava which has 1 bedroom for 4 people. Apartamento en Empuriabrava que tiene 1 dormitorio para 4 personas.
Recuva is offered by Piriform, which offers many other programs. Recuva es ofrecido por Piriform, que ofrece muchos otros programas. Or apartment, which consists of 3 rooms for persons.
0コメント