# I am looking forward to going to Spain this summer



## Green_Ghost

I am writing a letter for my host family in Spain, and I'm trying to figure out the best way of saying...

I am looking forward to going to Spain this summer

My best guess is...

Tengo ganas de ir a España este verano.

Is that correct?  Also, is there a better way of saying it?

Muchas Gracias


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## lforestier

Usually

Tengo ganas de ir a España este verano = I wish to go to Spain this summer.


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## rosazgz

Es correcto, tambien se puede traducir como: "Espero ir a España este verano" o "Espero poder ir a España este verano" Salu2


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## bailarín

Yo diría: Estoy ansioso/deseoso por ir a España este verano

(Translation: I'm anxious/eager to go to Spain this summer)


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## lforestier

I concur with bailarin. "Estoy ansioso" will convey the excitement that you are feeling about your upcoming trip.


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## JeSuisSnob

My vote is also for: "Estoy ansioso por ir a España este verano".

Happy holidays.


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## juandiego

Sorry but, is not _"estar ansioso"_ a bit excessive? Does _"to look forward"_ convey that somehow anxious excitement?


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## lforestier

Yes, look forward means await anxiously.


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## sandpiperlily

But I think of "looking forward" as a positive thing -- you are anticipating something good without being anxious about it.  Does "ansioso" in Spanish convey a negative feeling of anxiety?

I'd like to know too, because this is always something I've had difficulty expressing in Spanish!


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## aztlaniano

Me hace mucha ilusión ir a España.


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## prunage

Hi!! Totalmente de acuerdo con:
Me hace mucha ilusión ir a España este verano!
un saludo!


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## Argentaliano

Quizá: Estoy entusiasmado con el viaje a España este verano.


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## juandiego

sandpiperlily said:


> But I think of "looking forward" as a positive thing -- you are anticipating something good without being anxious about it.  Does "ansioso" in Spanish convey a negative feeling of anxiety?
> 
> I'd like to know too, because this is always something I've had difficulty expressing in Spanish!


Without looking up the word "_ansia_" in the dictionary, I'd answer you that at least in some degree YES. But if you look it up in the DRAE, it is quite clearer that it does:
*ansia*
*1.* f. Congoja o fatiga que causa en el cuerpo inquietud o agitación violenta.
*2.* f. Angustia o aflicción del ánimo.
*3.* f. náusea.
*4.* f. anhelo.
That's precisely why I considered that perhaps _estar ansioso_ could be excessive. It conveys a disagreeable feeling.


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## Dario de Kansas

I've seen this discussed several times, and there doesn't seem to be a true Spanish equivalent to "look forward to." I would say "estar ansioso" is probably your best bet.


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## Bunjin

En verdad que no hay una traducción exacta... pero, al menos en México, algo así como "Espero/Ansío pronto ir a Expaña este verano... " /  "Espero/Ansío con alegría la próxima visita que haré a España" sería aceptable.

O simplemente, agregar MUCHO a tu construcción original: "Tengo MUCHAS ganas de ir a España este verano", esto expresaría un estado de ánimo de un huesped que sabe reconocer la buena disposición (Expresión de cortesía con que una persona ofrece su ayuda o su servicio a otra) de sus anfitriones.

Y si agregaras al final de tu frase "por lo que pronto nos veremos", estaría bien.


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## xocaso5

Tengo ganas de ir a España este verano.   Perfect.


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## tenpao

juandiego said:


> Without looking up the word "_ansia_" in the dictionary, I'd answer you that at least in some degree YES. But if you look it up in the DRAE, it is quite clearer that it does:
> *ansia*
> *1.* f. Congoja o fatiga que causa en el cuerpo inquietud o agitación violenta.
> *2.* f. Angustia o aflicción del ánimo.
> *3.* f. náusea.
> *4.* f. anhelo.
> That's precisely why I considered that perhaps _estar ansioso_ could be excessive. It conveys a disagreeable feeling.



*anhelo.*

(Del lat. anhēlus).


1. m. Deseo vehemente.

I have to disagree here, *ansia* doesn't always convey a negative feeling, It also means a strong desire for something.

The two options I like best:

Estoy deseando visitar España este verano.

Me hace mucha ilusión ir a España este verano.


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## bailarín

sandpiperlily said:


> But I think of "looking forward" as a positive thing -- you are anticipating something good without being anxious about it.  Does "ansioso" in Spanish convey a negative feeling of anxiety?
> 
> I'd like to know too, because this is always something I've had difficulty expressing in Spanish!



I disagree, as well, that there is a negative feeling about the word "anxious" in English.  You could be anxious to do something without having a negative connotation.  For example, "I'm really anxious to go to Spain this summer" implies an excitement to go to Spain this summer, and it's exactly what the original post wanted to say, i.e.,  I'm looking forward to go to Spain this summer.


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## Metzaka

Forward=adelantar
Tener ganas no necesariamente quiere decir que lo vaya a hacer (ir a España).
Looking forward es esperar con ansías, adelantar en mi mente los sucesos por venir.
Estoy de acuerdo con Bailarín.


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## Xalapena

Lo que sucede es que en diferentes paises de habla hispana el termino "looking forward" tal vez se diria de diferentes maneras. Por ejemplo, en Mexico, yo diria: Estoy deseosa de ir a Espana este verano. Pero en otros lados he escuchado que dicen: Me muero por ir a Espania este verano, estoy ansioso de ir a Espana este verano. Es cuestion de la region o el pais cual frase se oye mejor... SALUDOS!! Feliz Ano Nuevo a todos!!


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## thesmithtopher

Lo que pasa es que con "I'm looking forward to go to Spain" se sobreentiende que seguramente voy a españa, mientras "Tengo ganas de ir a España", que yo sepa, no da a entender que voy a España, sino que quiero irme y nada más.

Con las otras sugerencias ¿hay una que insinúa que te vas a ir a España mientras dice que también estás ansioso de irte?


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## tenpao

Efectivamente, decir "_tengo ganas de ir a España_" no da a entender que vas a ir, simplemente que tienes ganas de hacerlo.

Habría varias formas de traducir "_I'm looking forward to going to Spain_" expresando ambos sentidos. Por ejemplo:

_Estoy ansioso porque voy a España este verano._
_Me hace mucha ilusión el ir a España este verano._
_Estoy entusiasmado con el viaje a España de este verano._


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## juandiego

thesmithtopher said:


> Con las otras sugerencias ¿hay una que insinúa que te vas a ir a España mientras dice que también estás ansioso de irte?


Hello thesmithtopher.
Well, for that I'd propose to change the verb to "llegar" with which it would be clear you are going to go, as:
_Tengo *ya* muchas ganas de *llegar* a España este verano_.
Oddly, that "ya" also helps a lot ,even if the verb "ir" is maintained.


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## AnnaParker

Esta perfecta esa manera que pusiste.

Otra opción se me ocurre: 
I´m eager to go to Spain this summer.


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## eli-chi

Otras opciones, menos literales, podrían ser:

Espero con ansias que llegue el verano, para ir a España/para estar en España.
Espero ansioso(a) la llegada del verano, para ir a ... (o), para estar en España.

Muy "a la chilena" sería: ¡Me muero de ganas de que llegue el verano, para estar en España!


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## giopippo

*¿*Por qu*é* olvidamos "no veo la hora de irme a España este verano"*?*


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## marcanela

Mi opción:
Estoy deseando ir a España este verano..


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## basterretxea

Well, as you all know, there are a lot of differences between the spanish that is talked in spain and latin america. In this case this guy is trying to write to his spanish family, so he must write to them in castellano spanish not the latino type. In Spain we wouldn't say "estoy ansioso por ir a España", maybe the translation could be correct, but we never use that. "Ansioso" in Spain usually doesn't have a good meaning. So latin people, all your opinions are welcome, but in this case in Spain we would use any of the following:

"Me apetece mucho/muchísimo ir a España este verano"
"Tengo muchas ganas de ir a España este verano"
"Estoy deseando ir a España este verano"

Any of this choices would be perfect. Saludos y que lo pases muy bien en España!.


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## cara47

In English, I often say "looking forward" at the end of an email or phone call.  Just those 2 words--implying no great emotion.   For example, I am meeting a friend for lunch--nothing special (someone I see regularly perhaps).  It seems to me that the alternatives in Spanish are a little too dramatic in their intent.  Could it be a cultural thing?  Is the closest _low-key_ translation "Tengo ganas de verte" ?


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## juandiego

cara47 said:


> In English, I often say "looking forward" at the end of an email or phone call.  Just those 2 words--implying no great emotion.   For example, I am meeting a friend for lunch--nothing special (someone I see regularly perhaps).  It seems to me that the alternatives in Spanish are a little too dramatic in their intent.  Could it be a cultural thing?  Is the closest _low-key_ translation "Tengo ganas de verte" ?


Hi cara47.
Well, I'd say that _"Tengo ganas de verte"_ also works reasonably well to convey that not great emotion you mention. However, it's a colloquial wording which I wouldn't use addressing someone I'm not confidence with. For this latter case and in the same not great emotion tone, I'd use something a bit more formal like _"Espero poder verle/verte"; "Espero que podamos vernos"._ Perhaps this usage of the verb _"esperar"_ is a close match of _"to look forward"_ because it doesn't necessarily transmit the alleged emotion that its usual translation into English, _"to hope"_, does.


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## cara47

I still contend that espero que...conveys that you hope to see them but that it is NOT a sure thing, a done deal (as we say).  Tengo ganas de verte --to me---means that you would really like to see someone but also can be used to convey that you ALREADY have a specific plan that you are "looking forward to."


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## juandiego

I agree, cara47. _Esperar_ necessarily implies it's not a sure thing, basically because it's about the future and you never know what will finally happen.

I also agree that _tener ganas_ is often used in contexts regarding future events, however, strictly itself, only transmits a feeling you have now, regardless whether or not there's a prospect to fulfil it in the future; you could say _"tengo ganas de verte"_ perfectly knowing that this unfortunately won't happen or is not planned. This is why I think that _esperar_ somehow conveys better the idea of _to look forward_ than _tener ganas_: both necessarily point to the future whereas the latter doesn't.

The verb _esperar_ in these constructions really has a wide spectre of meaning, ranging from sheer desire to even nearly a demand. An example of this latter case: [A chief instructing his employee] _"Espero verte allí a las 8:00" — "You'd better be there at 8:00"_. As suggested earlier in this thread, it also covers most of the imaginable excitement degrees about the forthcoming event.


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## cara47

Muchas gracias.  MUY ÚTIL.    Desde ahora en adelante, voy a escribir---_Espero verte_ and feel comfortable that it will be understood as "looking forward. " (to our luncheon next week)


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