Spanish words to learn from signs

 

I am learning Spanish using Duolingo to prepare for a holiday in the Spanish speaking Canary islands.  I have already filled one A5 lined notebook with Spanish words, mainly from Duolingo. I then tried adding words to an A5 diary, but the diary page filled up too fast and I want to keep my Spanish words separate. So I have now started a new A5 notebook. This will be too big, bulky and heavy, to carry in my carry on luggage on the plane, and on outings, hiking, but I shall make a second smaller notebook for my pocket when out and about. I shall note down words from bilingual signs.

From the bilingual sign above I have noted these words:

I have included the common words I already know. In fact, I find it easier to start with words I already know. It gives me confidence, motivation, enthusiasm, gets me started on the task.

Spanish - English

A-D

agua - water

contra - against

corriente - current

de - of

E-K

escaper - to escape

L-R

la - the

muy - very (starting with m like the English words most, and multi)

nader - to swim

nunca - never

no - don't

para - for

peligrosa - dangerous (feminine adjective ending in a to match a feminine noun ending with a, like Maria or Mama, or e like the French madame)

resaca - rip tide / rip current

S-Z

seguridad - safety

si - if

solo - alone

su - your

una - a / one

y - and

English - Spanish

A-D

a / one - una

against - contra

alone - solo

and - y

current - corriente

dangerous - peligrosa (adjective ending in a to match a noun ending in a)

don't - no

E-K

(to) escape - escaper

for - para

if - si

L-R

never - nunca

of - de

rip current / rip tide - resaca

S-Z

safety - seguridad

(to) swim - nader

the - la (feminine) el (masculine)

very - muy

water - agua

your - su

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SPANISH SPEAKING quick tip on this and is

Flag of Spain

 I started translating sentences I was thinking.

I thought, what is this? This is my diary.

But the Spanish translation was que esto

este es mi diario

Why was este use in one place, este in another.

Este is like the. it comes before a noun. esto is alone.

Just remember este es, the letter e appears three times.

But what about esta!

¿Dónde está mi diario?

Notice the accent on the letter a.

And the accent on the o in where. |The accents for emphasis. Think of panic. WHERE IS my diary?

Duolingo includes tips. You can then check AI, Quora, Wikipedia and Youtube.

Useful Websites

Simple easy to remember Spanish words

 

Spanish - English

ahora - now (nOw is the HOuR)

alto - high (like altitude)

animales - animals

ayer - yesterday (AYe - scottish for yes, YEsteRday)

carne - meat (like carnivore)

Dormitorio - bedroom

los dientes - teeth (like dentist and dental work and dentistry)

me - me

naranja - orange, add the n in front, an orange used to be a norange in English

viento - wind (like ventilation)

invierno - winter , like the French for winter,  hiver, change v to b and you hibernate, to get through the winter by sleeping in a duvet (spelled with a v)

English  Spanish

animals - animales

bedroom - dormitorio

high - alto

me -me

meat - carne

now - ahora

orange - naranja

teeth - los dientes

wind - viento

winter - invierno

yesterday - ayer

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Simple Spanish words

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Many Spanish words sound like and look like simplified English.

Spanish - English

alto/alta/altos - tall male/tall female/tall people (like the English word altitude)

chicas - girls (like the slang word, chicks)

dificil - difficult

elegante - elegant

es - is

estudiantes -  students

clase - class

marzo - March ( 

mes - month

mi - my

negro - black (the eg in negro is pronounced like egg)

oficina - office

pasaportes - passports

persona - person (feminine)

precios - prices

tu - you (singular) The Spanish is the same as the French, and starts with a ti, similar to thee and thou

English - Spanish

black - negro

chicks/girls - chicas

class - clase

elegant - elegante

is - es

March - marzo (The name of the third month starts with the same three letters in both Spanish and English. In Spanish you don't need to bother with a capital letter at the start. So easy.

month - mes

my - mi

 office - oficina

passports - pasaportes

person - persona (feminine)

prices - precios

students - studiantes

tall - alto/alta/altos

Useful Websites For Learning & Translating Spanish

duolingo.com

translate google

wikitravel phrase book Spanish

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Learning languages on Duolingo for your holiday hiking in Spain

The Spanish Flag. From Wikipedia.

I am learning Spanish for a hiking holiday in Spain. Last time I went away with the same group, which meets every year in Europe for a week of hiking, 

German

I learned German which was the language of the man organizing the group. Despite finsihing the entire German course, I could not follow his instrucitions to the group in German and had to wait for the translation into English. Since the germans spoke fluent English, I felt a bit behind them in my efforts to learn a froeign language.\

Why Learn Spanish? -  Is It Essential?

It turned out that my main problem in understanding hiders' conversation was technical (hiking) vocabulary. I had not learned specialised words for a hiking trip. 

Solution So Specialised Languge in Spain

This time I have given up on the German and tried to learn Spanish, so that if I get left behind, or turn back, on a hike, I can read the local signs. 

Print Words & Maps

I shall print out my words, and maps, so that if my phone has no conncection, or the battery fails, or it needs charging, I have a printed backup of maps and words.

Word List

For my own benefit I have made a list which I am sharing with you.  

Popular Pilgrimage

The most popular hike, the msot well known, is the old pilgrimage route, Camino to Santiago.

Wikipedia map of the route across northern Spain.

Camino translates as path or way or road. Sant is Saint. Iago is Jacob or James. (John is Juan, pronounced Who-Ann or Who won?) 

Other trails include the Picos de Europa.

 I have made a list of useful words, using Translate Google and other sources.

ENGLISH (alphabetically) - SPANISH 

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

north - norte

south-  sur

East - este

West  - Oeste

centro de la ciudad - city centre

A-D

and - y

Bar - bar

blocked / obstructed - obstruido

bridge - puente

car park / parking lot -  estacionamiento

church - iglesia

closed - cerrado

coffee - café 

cul de sac - callejón sin salida

danger - peligro

detour - desvio

do not drink - no bebas

drinking water - agua potable

E-K

easy - facil

fire danger - peligro de incendio

free - gratis

free parking - estacionamiento gratis

gate - puerta

green - verde

hard - duro

harbour - puerto

help - ayuda

hiking - senderismo (my memory aid is sending someobdy hiking!)\

hill - colina

hike - la caminata

hiking - senderismo

hostel - refugio (might be dormitory accommodation, booked, or priority given to those registered on the route)

house - casa

I need - necesito

L-R

local trails - senderos locales

mountain - montaña

no smoking - no fumar

no entry - no hay entrada

no exit - sin salida

no left turn - sin giro a la izquierda - (like French gauche for left)

no right turn - sin giro a la derecha

no swimming - no nadar

one way - un camino

open - abierto

over here - por aqui

path - camino

peak - cima

port / harbour - puerto

railway - ferrocarril

residents only - solo residentes

restaurant - restaurante

river - rio

road - camino

roundabout - rotonda

S-Z

sandwiches - bocadillos

sea - mar (like the French mer)

shop - tienda

short - corto

snacks - snacks

toilet - baño 

trail - camino

watch out! - cuidado!

waterfall - cascada

where - donde

..........

COLORS

black - negro

green - verde

red - rojo

......................

SPANISH - ENGLISH

A-D

abierto - open

aqui - here

agua potable - drinking water

aperitivos - appetizers

ayuda - help

baño - toilet

bar - bar

barra de café - coffee bar

café - coffee

callejón sin salida - no exit

camino - path, road, route, way

casa - house

cascada - waterfall

cerrado - closed

cima - peak

comercio - shop

corto - short

senderismo

Ciudad - city

cuidado - watch out

Desvio - detour

dónde - where

Duro - hard

E- K

empinado -

estacionamiento -  car park/parking lot

estacionamiento gratis - free parking

fácil - easy

ferrocarril - railway

gratis - free

hostal - hostel

iglesia  church

inundable - floodable

COLORS

negro - black

rojo - red

verde - green

L-R

mar - sea

montaña - mountain

Necesito - I need

no bebas - not drinking water / do not drink

no fumar - no smoking

No hay entrada - no entry

no nadar - no swimming

obstruido - blocked (obstructed)

peligro - danger

peligro de incendio - fire danger

por aqui! - over here!

pueblo - town

puente - bridge

puerta (feminine) - gate

puerto (masculine) - port / harbour

refugio / hostal - hostel

restaurante - restaurant

río - river

rotonda - roundabout

S-Z

sándwich - sandwich

senderismo - hiking

sin giro a la derecha - no right turn

sin giro a la izquierda - no left turn (like French gauche for left)

Sin salida - no exit

solo residentes - residents only

tienda - shop

tienda de comestibles - grocery shop

un camino - one way

y - and

Useful Websites

Duolingo.com

Translate Google

https://translate.google.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camino_de_Santiago

https://www.walksinspain.org/wordpress/guidance/

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