Spanish Proverbs

Here is a list of interesting Spanish proverbs with their English translations. You can try using some of these some day..... Good Luck !!

Más vale pájaro en mano que cien volando.
A bird in the hand is worth more than 100 flying. [A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.]

Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente.
Eyes that do not see, heart that does not feel.

El amor es ciego.
Love is blind.

Perro que no camina, no encuentra hueso.
The dog that doesn't walk doesn't find a bone. [You can't succeed if you don't try.]

Haz el bien, y no mires a quién.
Do the good, and don't look at whom. [Do what is right, not what will gain approval.]

No todo lo que brilla es oro.
Not all that shines is gold. [Not everything that glitters is gold.]

No hay mal que por bien no venga.
There is not bad from which good doesn't come.

Saliste de Guatemala y te metiste en Guatapeor.
You left Guate-bad and went to Guate-worse.

Del dicho al hecho, hay mucho trecho.
From the saying to the act, there is much distance. [Saying something and doing it are two different things.]

La ignorancia es atrevida.
Ignorance is courageous.

Get married in Spain

Planning to get married . Why not in Spain ? Your are more likely to ask why in Spain of all the places in the world?
Well! Here's why ! Spain is a great destination to visit, above all for your wedding! With its excellent climate, fine food and drink, exciting blend of the historic and modern, and a warm and friendly atmosphere, it combines all the essential elements for making your special day that bit extra special. Besides, you can get your wedding planned and organised by people who are paid to do so.... like in India!!! Lets see what all you will need to do!
There are many beautiful locations available for ceremonies from small country chapels, cathedral-type churches, gardens and beaches. Only catholic and civil weddings are accepted as valid under Spanish Law, and are recognized as such in the rest of Europe and USA. The Anglican Church has no power to marry couples in Spain, but it can perform blessings after a civil marriage. It is possible to celebrate weddings for couples of other faiths (although they are not considered legal). No. Spanish law does not permit 2 foreigners to marry at a registry office in Spain if they are non-residents. You can celebrate a legal marriage in your country, and then come to Spain so that a wedding “officiant” can officiate at the ceremony. Yes , you can get married legally by the Roman Catholic Church in Spain to change the marital status of the couple. This option can be carried out throughout Spain. You must be a Catholic, have been baptised in the Catholic Church and be single, or legally divorced, and never previously married by the Catholic Church. For the truly romantic, an exchange of vows ceremony can take place in any location with the words that the couple chose, whether they are of a religious or humanist nature. A civil wedding can take place in the couple's country of origin prior to the ceremony if the couple wishes the union to be recognized under their country's laws, or it can be combined with a Spanish civil ceremony. For those couples wishing to renew their vows, either a religious or symbolic ceremony can be arranged. Generally, any wedding that is recognized under Spanish Law will be recognized by your home country. Spain is a large country and the climate varies with the region. The region of Andalucia in the south has the most temperate climate with little rain, but it can be extremely hot in the months of July and August. So whats stopping you .... rush now !

Argentine tango

Argentine Tango is a social dance and a musical genre that originated in Argentina and moved to Uruguay and to the rest of the world later on. In the US, it is commonly confused with Ballroom Tango, though this is a later derivation. See History of Tango and Tango music for the origins and development of each

Argentine Tango is danced in an embrace that can vary from very open, in which leader and follower connect at arms length, to very closed, in which the connection is chest-to-chest, or anywhere in between. Close embrace is often associated with the more traditional styles, while open embrace leaves room for many of the embellishments and figures that are associated with Tango Nuevo.
Tango is essentially walking with a partner and the music. Musicality (i.e. dancing appropriately to the emotion and speed of a tango) is an extremely important element of tangoing. A good dancer is one who makes you see the music. Also, dancers generally keep their feet close to the floor as they walk, the ankles and knees brushing as one leg passes the other.
Argentine Tango relies heavily on improvisation; although certain patterns of movement have been codified by instructors over the years as a device to instruct dancers, there is no "basic step." One of the only constants across all Argentine Tango styles, is that the follower will usually be led to alternate feet. Another is that the follower rarely has her weight on both feet at the same time. Argentine tango is a new orientation of couple dancing. As most dances have a rational-pattern which can be predicted by the follower, the ballast of previous perceptions about strict rules has to be thrown overboard and replaced by a real communication contact, creating a direct non-verbal dialogue. A tango is a living act in the moment as it happens.
Argentine Tango is danced counterclockwise around the outside of the dance floor (the "line of dance") and dance "traffic" often segregates into a number of "lanes"; cutting across the middle of the floor is frowned upon. In general, the middle of the floor is where you find either beginners who lack floor navigation skills or people who are performing "showy" figures or patterns that take up more dance floor space. It is acceptable to stop briefly in the line of dance to perform stationary figures, as long as the other dancers are not unduly impeded. The school of thought about this is, if there is open space in front of you, there are likely people waiting behind you. Dancers are expected to respect the other couples on the floor; colliding or even crowding another couple, or stepping on others' feet is to be avoided strenuously. It is considered rude; in addition to possible physical harm rendered, it can be disruptive to a couple's musicality.

Aqueduct of Segovia

The Aqueduct of Segovia (or more precisely, the aqueduct bridge) is one of the most significant and best-preserved monuments left by the Romans on the Iberian Peninsula. It is among the most important symbols of Segovia, as is evidenced by its presence on the city's coat of arms.


The aqueduct transports waters from Spring Fuenfría, situated in the nearby mountains some 17 kilometers (10.6 miles) from the city in a region known as La Acebeda. It runs another 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) before arriving in the city. The water is first gathered in a tank known as El Caserón (or Big House), and is then led through a channel to a second tower known as the Casa de Aguas (or Waterhouse). There it is naturally decanted and sand settles out before the water continues its route. Next the water travels 728 meters (.45 miles) on a one-percent grade until it is high upon the Postigo, a rocky outcropping on which the old city center, the Segovia Alcázar, was built. Then, at Plaza de Díaz Sanz (Díaz Sanz Square), the structure makes an abrupt turn and heads toward Plaza Azoguejo (Azoguejo Square). It is there the monument begins to display its full splendor. At its tallest, the aqueduct reaches a height of 28.5 meters (93.5 feet), including nearly 6 meters (19.7 feet) of foundation. There are both single and double arches supported by pillars. From the point the aqueduct enters the city until it reaches Plaza de Díaz Sanz, it boasts 75 single arches and 44 double arches (or 88 arches when counted individually), followed by four single arches, totalling 167 arches in all.


The aqueduct is built of unmortared, brick-like granite blocks


The aqueduct is the city's most important architectural landmark. It had been kept functioning throughout the centuries and preserved in excellent condition. It provided water to Segovia, mainly to the Segovia Alcázar, until recently. During the 20th Century, the aqueduct suffered wear and tear due to pollution from heaters and automobiles. The latter used to pass below the arches. Natural erosion from the granite itself has also affected the structure through the years. Contrary to popular belief, vibrations caused by traffic do not affect the aqueduct due to its great mass. Restoration projects, supervised by architect Francisco Jurado, have been ongoing since 1997 in order to guarantee the aqueduct's survival. During the restoration, traffic has been re-routed, and Plaza Azoguejo has been converted into a pedestrian zone.


The Legend
According to a popular legend, sloth, rather than Romans, was responsible for the construction of the aqueduct. A woman who worked as a water carrier, fed up with hauling her pitcher through the steep streets of the city, made a pact with the devil: the devil could take her soul if water would arrive at her doorstep before the rooster crowed. When night fell, a great storm fell upon the city. None of its citizens except the woman knew that this was no normal storm, but instead was the devil working to keep his part of the bargain. However, she repented and prayed all night to avoid fulfilling the pact. According to the legend, the rooster crowed just before the devil could lay the final stone, and thus the woman's soul was saved.
The woman confessed her sin to the citizens who, after spraying the arches with holy water, were happy to accept the new addition to the city. Convinced that a miracle had saved the woman's soul, a statue of the Virgin and Saint Stephen were placed atop the aqueduct in commemoration.

Flamenco

Flamenco is a Spanish musical genre with strong, rhythmic undertones and is often accompanied with a similarly impassioned style of dance characterized by its powerful yet graceful execution, as well as its intricate hand and footwork. Flamenco embodies a complex musical and cultural tradition. Although considered part of the culture of Spain in general, flamenco actually originates from one region: Andalusia. However, other areas, mainly Extremadura and Murcia, have contributed to the development of several flamenco musical forms, and a great number of renowned flamenco artists have been born in other territories of the state. The roots of flamenco are not precisely known, but it is generally acknowledged that flamenco grew out of the un1ique interplay of native Andalusian, Islamic, Sephardic, and Gypsy cultures that existed in Andalusia prior to and after the Reconquest. Latin American and especially Cuban influences have also been important in shaping several flamenco musical forms

Amores perros is a Mexican film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu in 2000. It is an anthology film containing three distinct stories which are connected by a car accident in Mexico City. Each of the three tales is also a reflection on the cruelty of humans toward animals and each other, showing how they may live dark or even hideous lives. Amores Perros was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001 and won the Ariel Award for Best Picture from the Mexican Academy of Film.
The film was released under its Spanish title in the English-speaking world although it was sometimes translated as Love's a Bitch in marketing. In a 2001 interview on National Public Radio Iñárritu pointed out that an American English idiom, Love's a Bitch is not a satisfactory translation of the title

Gazpacho soup

El Gazpacho.

Gazpacho soup, usually simply referred to as gazpacho, is a cold Spanish soup originating in the Southern region of Andalusia. It is widely consumed throughout Spain, neighboring Portugal and certain Latin American countries. It descends from an ancient Andalusian concoction based on a combination of stale bread, garlic, olive oil, salt, and vinegar — a cold breadsoup. With the Columbian Exchange beginning in 1492, the tomato and the bell pepper were brought to Europe।

The soup is also classically accompanied by hard boiled egg।

¡¡¡ Oye !!!

Oye .... yes.. that's what a Punjabi would say to draw somebody's attention . But then it's what a spaniard would also say. Now, i am not telling you that Spanish is related to Punjabi or that if you speak Punjabi you already speak spanish . This is just a sweet linguistic coincidence.

Listening is a great source of knowledge. We often don't realise the importance of letting others speak. We are always in a hurry to give our opinions. Listen carefully; it not only makes us more patient but also more knowlegeable.
In case of a new language its all the more important to listen carefully. As toddlers, our parents used to repeat to us every single word of our mother tongue umpteen number of times. They longed to hear us utter a new word everday. Today we are so fluent in our own language thanks to that repetitiveness. So is language learning listening to the same word again and again ?
Yes , it is ..... but associating that word with some idea or thing is equally important. We can't imagine having learned what we call a "pen" without having seen it first. Lets leave this subject of visual association for the next post and only discuss the listening skill this time.

Learning Spanish is no different. Its like a toddler learning his own language. Unfortunately we lack the time and patience to learn the "toddler way". Coming to think about it ,thats the most appropriate way to learn any language i.e. through visual association, by using all our sensory powers at the same time ...
In a normal class, we either concentrate on reading or speaking or listening at a time. Not that it is totally useless to do so but we have better ways to speed up our learning process and learn effectively.

The main problem in language learning for any beginner is not being able to differentiate or identify the words in a sentence. For e.g. If someone says a sentence like "Tengo que hacer la comida ahora" (I have to make the food now) , a beginner would hear it as "Tengoquecerlacomidaora" Firstly, we are not even able to identify the words used.
We learn to do that by knowing that such words exist in the spanish language. In other words increasing our vocabulary helps us to overcome this problem. Now we hear the sentence as Tengo................ que..................... hacer................. la................. comida .....................ahora" . So , we identify the words but the gap in comprehension is so large that we understand the words individually . We know we heard Tengo , hacer, la comida, ahora but not the sentence as a whole. So we take a lot more time to derive the meaning of this sentence.
This is exactly what has to be overcome by effective listening . We should be able to identify words and then link them as fast as possible to comprehend the meaning of the entire sentence. and this takes a lot of practice ..... so listening carefully keeping these two points in mind will definately help to understand a native spanish speaker much faster than one could imagine.....

So dont just listen to the language you are learning. LISTEN!!! Use your ears but don't forget to use them effectively.

Talk now!!!

Speaking conveys what we wish to say effectively. Gestures add to the beauty of communication. Every language has different meanings for different gestures. Studying these gestures is also an important part of language learning. But before we discuss that we must make an effort to talk. Not just talk but understand what we say.

Read !!!

Reading is an activity only some of us enjoy. Reading opens the doors to a new world . Its a world of our own imaginations. When studying a foreign language it is very important to be able to read the language correctly. Although reading apparently involves only being able to pronounce well , its equally important to be able to read like a native speaker. We need to understand what we read to make the reading effective. It makes no sense to just read well without comprehension. Spanish , for instance, has a very simple pronunciation technique. You just pronounce every alphabet the way it is. Every alphabet has a single sound . Following a few rules can make you quite an expert in spanish pronunciation. Reading aloud accelerates the process .
What many students don't realise is that this is not the end of learning to read. We must learn to read with proper stress to make the language sound sweet to ears, to make the language sound native. Spanish has accents marks on certain words. The syllables which have accent marks need to be stressed. Similarly we must know the rules for stressing syllables when there are no accent marks to guide us. In short we must understand the rhythm and the sound structure of the language.

Spanish ,particularly, is a melodious language. Learning spanish will definately add sugar to your life.

Discover Spain ....

If you wish to go shopping in Spain , it will help you to know that majority of the shops and supermarkets are open every day of the week except on Sundays. The normal timing is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the night. Nevertheless some big departmental stores have a continuous timing from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and are also open sometimes on Sundays.
One can go to the bank from Monday to Friday between 8.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. A very few banks are also open in the evening. From October to May they are open on Saturdays also but close an hour earlier: at 1 p.m.
If you need to visit any official centre you have to go between 9 a.m to 2 p.m. . They are closed on weekends.

La Tomatina

La Tomatina is a food fight festival held on a Wednesday towards the end of August in the town of Buñol in the Valencia in Spain. Thousands of participants come from all over the world to fight in a harmless battle where more than one hundred metric tons of over-ripe tomatoes are thrown in the streets.

The festival features music , parades , dancing and fireworks.. On the night before the tomato fight, participants of the festival compete in a paella cooking contest.( Paella is a typical Spanish dish)

Approximately 30,000 tourists come to the tomato fight, multiplying by several times Buñol's normal population of 9,000. There is limited accommodation for people who come to La Tomatina, and thus many participants stay in Valencia and travel by bus or train to Buñol, about 38 km outside the city. In preparation for the dirty mess that will follow, shopkeepers use huge plastic covers on their storefronts in order to protect them .

The tomatoes come from Extremadura , where they are less expensive. The signal for the beginning of the fight is firing of water cannons. Once it begins, the battle is generally every man for himself. Those who partake in this event are strongly encouraged to wear protective safety goggles and gloves. In addition, they must squish the tomatoes before throwing for safety precautions. Another rule is that no one is allowed to bring into this fight anything that may provoke someone into a more serious brawl, such as a glass bottle. Although it is forbidden to tear someone else's clothing, the crowd tend to ignore this and invariably will rip the shirt of any clothed person, man or woman. After exactly one hour, the fighting ends when the water cannons are fired once more to signal the end. At this point no more tomatoes can be thrown. The cleaning process involves the use of fire trucks to spray down the streets, with water provided from a Roman acueduct. The authorities seem more concerned with cleaning the town than the visitors so some people find water at the Buñol River to wash themselves, although some kind residents will hose passers-by down.

The festival is in honor of the town's patron saints, Luis Bertrán and the Mother of God of the Defenseless, a title of the Virgin Mary.

The festival is held the fourth, or last, Wednesday of August.

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu (Old Peak) is a pre-colombian Inca city located at 2,430 m (7,970 ft) altitude on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, about 70 km northwest of Cusco Forgotten for centuries by the outside world, although not by locals, it was brought back to international attention by archaelogist Hiran Bingham in 1911, who made the first scientific confirmation of the site and wrote a best-selling work about it. Machu Picchu is probably the most familiar symbol of the Inca Enpire. It is often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas". The site was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1983 when it was described as "an absolute masterpiece of architecture and a unique testimony to the Inca civilization".

Spanish Food

Meals
A normal day's breakfast- or desayuno- typically consists merely of a cup of coffee, although it's also commonplace to accompany your steaming café con leche with a croissant or other pastry. The Spanish "traditional" breakfast consists of the vastly popular churros, served sprinkled with sugar or dunked in hot chocolate.

Spaniards eat their lunch, or comida, between 2:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon. Serving as the day's main meal, it is traditionally quite a bit larger than the dinner meal, or cena. A typical lunch will have several courses. The first course is the lighter part of the meal, usually consisting of a salad or soup, while the second course is normally your typical fish or meat dish. A dessert can be a simple piece of fruit, a typical Spanish flan, or a sweet pastry or cake.

While there are many people who eat full meals, the Spanish dinner (cena) is traditionally much smaller than the mid-day comida. It often consists of something lighter like a salad, a sandwich, or a selection of tapas. Spaniards eat late for this final meal of the day- even more so on weekends and during the summer- sitting down to eat anytime from 9:00 until 11:00 in the evening.

Tapas
A tradition begun long ago in the southern city of Seville, Spaniards have since perfected the art of snacking. Going out for tapas consists of travelling from bar to bar and sharing plates of the bars' specialties with a small group of friends.

Sobremesa
The name says it all. The word sobremesa literally means "over the table" and refers to the art of conversation after a meal. Instead of taking the last bite and leaving, Spaniards often stay at the table conversing, savoring each other's company, and perhaps sharing a drink. If good conversation ensues, be prepared to stay for hours!

Siesta
No, it's not a myth. Yes, the infamous siesta really does exist. It began long ago as after eating the large mid-day meal farmworkers needed to rest and digest before going back out to work the fields. While this daily break doesn't necessarily include a nap, businesses and stores do shut down for about two hours and many people return home to eat with their families.

Wine
Whether out at a restaurant or in the home with the family, it is very typical to drink wine along with a meal. So common, in fact, that restaurants offering a menú almost always include wine in the advertised price.

Coffee
Coffee is quite the Spanish phenomenon. Many Spaniards drink several cups of their favorite caffeinated beverage in the course of a single day. Coffee also traditionally follows a Spanish meal and is served after the dessert. You can have a café con leche (coffee with milk), a café solo (coffee without milk), or a café cortado (coffee with some milk).

Flamenco

Flamenco is a genuine Spanish art, and to be more exact an genuine Southern Spanish art. It exists in three forms: Cante, the song, Baile, the dance, and Guitarra, guitar playing.
Gypsies are very often named as its fathers, and at least it can be taken for certain that they played an important part in its creation. But also the popular songs and dances of Andalucia have influenced early Flamenco considerably.
Certainly there were other influences, too, as it will not surprise in a country that has been dominated by most diverse cultures and civilizations during its different historical epochs. There were the legendary Tartessos, and seven centuries of Muslim occupation hardly could have passed without leaving traces. All that, directly or indirectly, influenced Flamenco.

The first time Flamenco is reported on in literature is in the "Cartas Marruecas" of Cadalso, in 1774. Its cradle most probably was where, between 1765 and 1860, the first Flamenco-schools were created: Cádiz, Jerez de la Frontera and Triana (Seville).
In this epoch Flamenco dance started to have its firm position in the ballrooms. Early Flamenco seems to have been purely vocal, accompanied only by rhythmical clapping of hands, toque de palmas. It was left to dedicated composers, as Julián Arcas, to introduce guitar playing.

During its Golden Age (1869-1910) Flamenco was developed in the epoch's numerous music cafés (cafés cantantes) to its definitive form. Also the more serious forms expressing deep feelings (cante jondo) dates from then.

Flamenco dance arrived to its climax, being the major attraction for the public of those cafés cantantes. Guitar players featuring the dancers increasingly gained a reputation.

The time from 1910 to 1955 Flamenco singing is marked by the ópera flamenca, with an easier kind of music such as fandangos and cantes de ida y vuelta. The latter clearly showed South American influences.
From 1915 on Flamenco shows were organized and performed all over the world. Anyhow, not everybody was enchanted with that development and intellectuals such as Falla organized 1922 in Granada a contest to promote "authentical" cante jondo.

1955 started a sort of Flamenco Renaissance, the great performer Antonio Mairena being its key figure. Outstanding dancers and soloists soon made their way out of the small tablaos, successors to the early cafés cantantes, to the great theaters and concert houses. It was now that guitar players acquired a great protagonism, and their playing arrived to masterity.

Actual Flamenco frequently shows influences of other kinds of music, as Jazz, Salsa, Bossa Nova, etc.
Also Flamenco dance has changed, specially female dancers try to rather showcase their temperament than artistry. The Flamenco guitar that formerly was just featuring the dancers arrived to be a soloistical art form, great virtuoso Paco de Lucia being the pioneer of that development.

Learn spanish....talk now !!!

Lets speak first....Once you start learning, speaking spanish requires only one thing .....Courage ! Courage to let yourself make mistakes while learning. Most of us just fail to open our mouth and utter what is in our mind. We know what we have to say but it remains inside and is never heard by anybody. Make yourself heard!!! Stand in front of the mirror and let the spanish that you know unleash itself from within you. "Mirror conversation" is ,of course, a very good method of seeing yourself speak spanish in no time; you even have a person in front of you to respond if that’s what is important for you.
The only disadvantage of this learning method is that there is nobody to correct you and you do not know if you are using right words and right grammar. But the purpose of this exercise is not improving your grammar; it's only conversing with yourself. Eventually, as you learn to converse with your “mirror image” that is with yourself ( which means you are actually thinking aloud); you will learn to think in Spanish naturally. The mark of having mastered a language is, needless to mention, the ability to be able to think in that language. Have you ever noticed that you are most fluent in language you think in?
So what's your "Think Language" ?

Speaking spanish

Why spanish ? First, because it sounds so sweet to ears and it is so perfect. It abounds in its cultural wealth of music, song, dance, cuisine, sports, places of interest, literature, customs and traditions. Spanish culture has all this and much more to offer.

A person who begins this journey will never want to reach the destination because the journey itself is so interesting . All said and done , do we really learn a language to know all this? Yes, we do but there is much more ! The most exciting moment for any beginner is to be able to speak spanish.

After almost 6 years of learning spanish and 2 years of spanish teaching experience ,i have derived that language learning is not just gaining knowledge but also living 2 lives. One in which you are born and the other which you choose to live. Sounds really strange; to be able to choose the life you want to live but that is possible by learning any new language not just a foreign language.

Coming back to being able to actually communicate rather than just speak spanish, we must understand that speaking , listening and understanding , reading and writing are four different and important skills to be acquired here. Not to forget ,that all 4 skills are deeply inter-related and help each other through out the entire learning process. In my opinion , speaking is the most important skill to be acquired since it makes language learning difficult and easy at the same time. How ??? Practically, speaking is diffilcult since just as you can't learn swimming by reading a book on swimming, you can't start speaking spanish unless you actually speak to someone . In a country where spanish is not the native language it is very difficult to find fluent language speakers to practice your langauge. You get to practice only the 2 or 3 hours of the class you attend. On the other hand, if this difficulty is solved, spanish becomes so easy since all other skills just follow. If first you learn to speak well , naturally you listen well and comprehend well and of course you can put on paper what you speak .... so your writing skills improve.

Watch out for the next post , where i will discuss more on improving your speaking skills.
The first sentence you learn in a beginner's spanish class is ¿ Hablas español ? ( Do you speak spanish?) and the answer is " No muy bien "( Not very well ) We should remember that we don't want to end up saying the same at the end of a spanish learning course !!!!!!!

Spanish (español or castellano) is an Iberian Romance language. It is spoken by roughly 400 million people in the world, making Spanish the fourth language in the world in number of speakers (after Mandarin Chinese, Hindi and English) and the most widely spoken and the most widely studied Romance language. It is the official language of 21 countries and is also spoken in United States of America ,Philippines, Canada, Belize, Australia and Andorra.
What will I be able to do if I learn Spanish? · Improve at work. Spanish is one of the most frequent languages used to do business. · Make the most of your trips to Spain and Latin America easily. · Enjoy some of the masterpieces of universal literature, like Don Quijote de la Mancha (the second most translated book).