12/11/2023 0 Comments Costa rica tico meaningTraer, in contrast, means “to bring,” such as when an object is being transported to the place where you are. (My boyfriend is here, and I’m taking him with me to the party.) Llevo a mi novio a la fiesta. (I have the book, and I’m going to take it elsewhere to give to someone else) Le voy a llevar el libro. Llevar means “to take,” such as when an object is being taken (generally by you) to a place other than where you are. However, when it means “to take” or “to bring with,” it gets confusing. (Llevaba un saco en las espaldas, Te lo llevo ). Llevar comes from Latin lev āre, “to raise up,” and when it means “to carry,” it is not confusing. “Traer” generally means “to bring,” while “llevar” means “to carry,” or “to bring with.” Then there is the problematic pair, “traer, and “llevar.” They are very similar in that both, aside from numerous idiomatic meanings, refer to objects moving from one location to another. On the other hand, the noun for “unconsciousness” is easy and clear, “el inconsciente.” Why can’t the word for “consciousness” just be “el conciente?” Traer and Llevar It’s no big deal, except that each time I say “consciencia,” I still feel like I’m saying “conscience.”Īnother word that some sources give as “consciousness” is “conocimiento,” but this is even more confusing, since it generally means “understanding.” This means that every time I want to discuss human consciousness in Spanish, I must first explain that I mean “consciencia” en el sentido de ‘ser consciente’ y no en el sentido moral (“consciencia” in the sense of “being aware” and not in the moral sense). In Spanish, however, the words for “consciousness” and “conscience” are the same: “la consciencia.” I love to talk about metaphysics, especially the nature of consciousness. Given all this, I think I’ll just stick to saying, “!Húacala! Mucho chunche!” (“Húacala means “Yuck,” and “chunche” is a slang word for “stuff.”) Consciencia In the end, the only word that really works (but is rarely found as a translation in a dictionary) is “congestionar,” or “to congest” and its noun “congestión.” Though there is no noun for it,“apiñar” seems to come closest in meaning, but, if we try to say, “Esta mesa está apiñada,” it will be interpreted as “this table is squeezed or crowded against something.” There are two other words, both verbs, that Google Translate offers us: “atestar,” whose first meaning is “testify,” and whose second meaning is “to stuff full,” and “apiñar,” which means “to crowd” or “to cram together.” I don’t like clutter, but in Spanish there doesn’t seem to be any specific word for “clutter.” It is usually translated as “desorden,” but this simply means “disorder” or “mess,” and can just as well refer to a dirty counter top as a table with too many knick-knacks. I go into such detail about one word only to illustrate how complicated translation can become and how easily we can be misunderstood. However, neither of these words are adjectives, and they do not connote any kind of silly humor, but refer to those whom some people call “country bumpkins.” MaiceroĪ similar word is “maicero,” which, like “corny,” comes from the word “corn” (maiz). What is probably the best translation, at least here in Costa Rica, involves the word “Polo”: defined in Asi Hablamos as (my translation) “person of speech or antiquated customs no longer accepted by modern society.” Usually reserved for people of peasant origin and not accustomed to cosmopolitan ways, the term also applies to people with ridiculous or old-fashioned customs. In other words, pretentious, self-important, superficial. Said of something ridiculous and tacky that tries to appear elegant or luxurious.” Said of a person who pretends to be elegant without being so. Said of an artist or a writer, who pretends to possess refinement or elevated sentiments. If we consult the definitive source, the Real Academia Española (Royal Spanish Academy), Cursi is defined as (My translation): In actuality, although “cursi,” is often used in the context of “silly,” and its technical definition is “said of the person who presumes to be refined and elegant without being so. The most common translation provided of “corny” into Spanish is “cursi.” In fact, if you look it up in either direction on Google Translate, that’s what you will get. “Corny,” as most of you know, is a word describing the kind of humor that comes from the allegedly rustic, ignorant and simple folks who cultivate corn. Here are some that continue to bother me. No matter how well we may learn a second language, there are always words and expressions that are going to give us grief.
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