Spanish, Portuguese And Italian, False Friends word translation

 

Quick reminders from Wikivoyage phrasebooks.

False Friends

I have put the Spanish first and underlined, and added my memory aids.

Beware of false friends if you speak or learned Portuguese or Italian. Examples include 

 Spanish embarazada (pregnant), 

but Portuguese embaraçada (embarrassed) like the English

Spanish oficina (office), like the English

but Portuguese oficina (workshop)  \

(The Italian for office is ufficio.)

Spanish burro (donkey)  I remember a beast of burden for donkey rides

Italian burro (butter) like the French buerre. 

Spanish carta (letter).' like the English postcard

Italian carta (paper) like a thin piece of card 

On the other hand, on the plus side, if you are English when you learn Spanish, afterwards you already know the look of the Spanish word, you just need to change a couple of letters and you have an easy to remember different word in Portuguese or Italian.

So, now we know four words of Spanish, two of Portuguese, and two of Italian. Eight foreign words. And an amusing conversation starter with anybody speaking or learning Spanish, Portuguese, or Italian.

What is the Spanish for embarrassed? avergonzado

What is the Spanish for workshop? taller

what is the Spanish for butter? mantequilla

If you are looking at the buffet in a hotel, the Spanish word for margarine is margarina. Easy to recognize.

The Portuguese for butter is manteiga. The word for margarine in Portuguese is margarina. The first two letters are the same as English, and Spanish.

What is the Spanish for paper? papel

For learners, like me, that is eight new words of Spanish.

Useful Language Websites

duolingo.com

translate google

Wikivoyage phasebook Spanish

Wikivoyage phrasebook Italian

Wikivoyage phrasebook Portuguese

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Book To Buy, Borrow, Lend

Embarrassing Moments by Angela Lansbury

on \

Amazon.co.uk and 

Lulu.com

Holy Cow? Camels on the Road!

Check local laws and customs regarding animals especially animals on the road.

I have driven along a motorway in India and seen cows ambling towards our hire car.

In Jordan and many countries you might see a donkey on the minor roads. However, I saw camels careering down the motorway towards the coach. (Always have your camera ready.)













Cows
Killing a cow in India and some other countries where the cow is considered a sacred animal could get you into trouble. Be sure to park where you can drive off easily if a crowd gathers and turns nasty. In some countries local people say for your own safety drive off (and report it to the nearest station?).  What if somebody runs up and says you killed my cow. Give me money. How do you know it is his cow? Police - are they real police? Are they corrupt police? What about the damage to your car. If you pay can you get a receipt? (I always carry a receipt book and demand the name and identity of the person taking money and get their photo which I send somewhere else in case they take my camera or I lose it. Don't risk hanging around.

Don't risk giving out personal details if you think this could endanger you. You could give the business address of a building where you work which has security and the last four numbers of your ID document and your insurance company and policy number.

For information and entertainment
http://www.visitjordan.com/
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/cow-india-aiport-runway-ahmedabad-sardar-vallabhbhai-international-gujarat-a8155406.html

עברית: הדרך מעמק הירדן להר נבו, ירדן English: Road to Mount Nebo, Jordan
Date	26 January 2012, 15:15:58
Source	Own work
Author	Deror_avi

How fast is your train? Get an ap!

Problem
How fast is this train? Is it as fast as it seems? Are we running on time? How can I impress colleagues, friends, strangers, the kids?

Answer
There are free aps (paid for by the advertising) which tell you your speed. They work pretty fast.

How do they work? By global positioning. I imagine you can use this on the motorway where (UK) signs telling you they can work out your average speed.

(I always thought those worked by an analysis of where you start and end and therefore the average speed over that distance in that time.)

You can also get a free altimeter as part of this speed ap or separately.

Story
My relative used the ap to measure the speed of the Stansted airport train, coming home to London. The train ran at 78 miles per hour. The London overground train was 38 m.p.h.

What Could You Measure?
You could also use it on a horse or elephant or camel. The system is working on the GPS, doesn't even know whether you are on a train or on horseback.

You can also measure your running, jogging and walking speed.

You could measure your child or toddler riding on a suitcase, granny on an electric cart, the electric cart zooming you around a railway station or an airport.

Measure your car, the bus, the long distance coach.

What about a plane? You are told to turn off your phone on the plane during taking off and landing. But at certain times mid-flight you might be told you can turn the phone on again. Usually on the planes which have a screen on the back of the seat in front there is a screen showing your distance travelled and estimated time of arrival and speed and height.

In a car the driver can see the speed on the speedometer. I often find I do not want to keep taking my eyes off the road. If you have children in the back they can keep you updated on your speed. This could be an amusement. Also help you keep within the speed limit.

Hours of fun for everyone.

Stansted Spelling
Whilst typing I was wondering how to spell Stansted. Somebody told me, "There's no second a. Stansted. Berkhamsted. They are all the same. Unfortunately, Hampstead Heath has a second a. However, you can remember is as the exception with the words Hampstead and Heath have matching end vowels.

Tips
https://appadvice.com/appguides/show/speedometer

Author
Angela Lansbury