What's The Most Difficult Thing In The Spanish Language?

[wineguy999]

No problem with the doble erre. But I wish Argentinos spoke Spanish (grin). My biggest problem is trying to decipher text messages, Facebook posts, etc, from my Argentino friends. Much Lunfardo, odd abbreviations, and of course Spanish (sort of) words that are exclusive to Argentina, so don't exist in a basic dictionary.

But I love the timbre of Castellano, the accents in San Juan, and hearing the differences in Castellano as it is spoken around the country. I find it hard to understand other Latin Americans now that my ear is so accustomed to it.


https://www.youtube....h?v=tCzV4MgWkkg

 

[PhilipDT]

Nouns that come from the Greek, such as programa, are masculine.

Mostly but not entirely true. Check out the link I posted.

 

[pitipur]

for me, right now at least, it's the subjunctive, even though i have issues with all the other things mentioned. But for english speakers, the subjunctive is a whole new concept that doesn't really exist in english (with the exception of cases like "if i were you"), so it's really tough for me to know when it should and shouldn't be used.

but yeah, the pronouns (and keeping them masc/fem throughout the whole sentence) are tough, as is the "se" -- is it reflexive, passive, etc?? and the pronunciation...well, just saying it right. I agree that it's nice that you can look at almost any word and know how to pronounce it correctly. whether or not I can actually say it out loud correctly though is another story.

 

[syngirl]

Nouns ending in L-O-N-E-R-S = masc

Nouns ending in D-ION-Z-A = fem (thinks loners and diosas ;D )

Irregulars:
LA tarde, LA noche, LA suerte (remember Lady Luck...), LA gente, LA muerte (difficult since I think most envision Death as masc...)

More fem irregs: LA mano, LA crisis, LA tesis...

Masc irreg: Un camion (I screw this one up ALL the time -- and is camioneta fem or masc?), EL mapa, EL dia, EL lapiz, EL avion.

Letters of the alphabet are all feminine (la letra E etc)

If a word begins with a stressed A then it takes a masc ie el aguila, el hambre, or you would say un ama de casa because the A - A would run into each other. But then if you're talking about the best housewife you would say la mejor ama de casa (I think... since it's referring to a female)

Then it gets weird because that eagle that was masc in the singular, when it's suddenly a whole bunch of eagles it becomes fem! El aguila... LAS aguilas.

Then those -MA words -- apparently you need to know your Greek to be able to speak Spanish... yikes! If they're greek they are MASC. So LA cama because it's not greek but EL telegrama because it is. Where I get tripped up is words like TRAMA -- sounds greek to me, but apparently no it's not, so it's a la. Same with BROMA and ASMA to me sounds like, hmm maybe greek, I don't know? But no, they aren't so they are both FEM

Then there's the lovely case of AZUCAR. Not content to be either FEM or MASC azucar is both. El azucar... but if you're describing the sugar to be brown or white it's suddenly feminine accordance ie azucar morena, azucar blanca. If anyone has a nice clean explanation that would be great.

Speaking of which, can someone explain EL bolso vs LA bolsa -- and I'm not talking about the stock market. El bolso = bag. La bolsa = bag -- is la bolsa really just more referring to a woman's handbag or what? I never know if I'm supposed to say el or la, and don't know if it makes any difference whether I'm using a plastic bag, a paper bag, a handbag (which I get around by saying cartera, jaja), reusable bag etc. Would love to know....

 

[Matiasba]

el bolso and la bolsa are different things.
La bolsa refers to plastic bags, smaller. You have different types of bolsas, bolsa de compras, bolsa de dormir, etc
El bolso is like a handbag, bigger than a bagpack...something in between a bagpack and a valija.

BOLSO

 

[fifs2]

Just watched Peabody & Shermna in Spanish and thought of your rrr pain watching Robespierre say "Ee Pewwro....

 

[fifs2]

pitipur for you to say that (the subjunctive is a whole new concept that doesn't really exist in english (with the exception of cases like "if i were you") shows you don't know that you youself may be using subjunctive in English even if the verb form doesn't change or changes slightly. It may just be that the typical subjunctive signs in Spanish (espero/quiero que) do NOT signal subj. as in English. I'm not an English teacher so I wish you able to find a professional better skilled in this area than I.

 

[French jurist]

Just watched Peabody & Shermna in Spanish and thought of your rrr pain watching Robespierre say "Ee Pewwro....

I tried to understand and ended-up on this YT video

 

[ghost]

I really love to listen to two Argies giving directions to one or the other. LOST, non specific. I'm glad they don't work for NASA. One of the top 3 reasons why Argentina didn't make it into the 21st century is the language. Sorry but that's the way it is.

 

[Rich One]

Nouns ending in L-O-N-E-R-S = masc

Nouns ending in D-ION-Z-A = fem (thinks loners and diosas ;D )

Irregulars:
LA tarde, LA noche, LA suerte (remember Lady Luck...), LA gente, LA muerte (difficult since I think most envision Death as masc...)

More fem irregs: LA mano, LA crisis, LA tesis...

Masc irreg: Un camion (I screw this one up ALL the time -- and is camioneta fem or masc?), EL mapa, EL dia, EL lapiz, EL avion.

Letters of the alphabet are all feminine (la letra E etc)

If a word begins with a stressed A then it takes a masc ie el aguila, el hambre, or you would say un ama de casa because the A - A would run into each other. But then if you're talking about the best housewife you would say la mejor ama de casa (I think... since it's referring to a female)

Then it gets weird because that eagle that was masc in the singular, when it's suddenly a whole bunch of eagles it becomes fem! El aguila... LAS aguilas.

Then those -MA words -- apparently you need to know your Greek to be able to speak Spanish... yikes! If they're greek they are MASC. So LA cama because it's not greek but EL telegrama because it is. Where I get tripped up is words like TRAMA -- sounds greek to me, but apparently no it's not, so it's a la. Same with BROMA and ASMA to me sounds like, hmm maybe greek, I don't know? But no, they aren't so they are both FEM

Then there's the lovely case of AZUCAR. Not content to be either FEM or MASC azucar is both. El azucar... but if you're describing the sugar to be brown or white it's suddenly feminine accordance ie azucar morena, azucar blanca. If anyone has a nice clean explanation that would be great.

Speaking of which, can someone explain EL bolso vs LA bolsa -- and I'm not talking about the stock market. El bolso = bag. La bolsa = bag -- is la bolsa really just more referring to a woman's handbag or what? I never know if I'm supposed to say el or la, and don't know if it makes any difference whether I'm using a plastic bag, a paper bag, a handbag (which I get around by saying cartera, jaja), reusable bag etc. Would love to know....

Consider the existence of diphthongs... jajajaj like in guinda or guero.

La_azucar ? No two A's can't go together, but La Hacienda is OK?
El o La radio?