# 1/2 cup and 1/2 teaspoon



## michellemione

How do I say 1/2 a cup and 1/2 a teaspoon in Spanish?


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## pops91710

Una taza con una media cucharadita, o 8 onzas con una media cucharadita


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## darthjavader

In Chile, we say: "Media taza" y "Media cucharadita"

Regards


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## michellemione

Thank you so very much for the help!


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## inib

Difficult. I understand that these measures are actually standard for Americans, but here we might well say "Well, how big is your cup and your spoon?". Maybe someone will offer us the official conversions, but if not, I suggest you weigh your own cupful and spoonful and express it in grams. And patience. I've got loads of English recipes in pounds and ounces, which have never turned out the same since I've turned them into grams and kilograms. Undoubtedly my own fault.


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## PACOALADROQUE

Yo creo que en España se entendería perfectamente:

Media (1/2) taza de té de harina. 
Media (1/2) cucharita de té de azúcar. En este caso lo normal es usar el diminutivo de cuchara, ya que la de té es pequeñita.

Saludos


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## inib

PACOALADROQUE said:


> Yo creo que en España se entendería perfectamente:
> 
> Media (1/2) taza de té de harina.
> Media (1/2) cucharita de té de azúcar. En este caso lo normal es usar el diminutivo de cuchara, ya que la de té es pequeñita.
> 
> Saludos


 Eso es que no sabes qué tazones de té me tomo yo. Solo es broma. Pero pienso que para el español medio esta medida resultaría muy inexacta, ¿no?


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## duvija

En realidad, tan inexacta no es (o yo soy una terrible cocinera, sin vergüenzas). En los libros puede decir sin problemas (al menos para los que lo escriben, supongo...):
1/2 t. harina
1/2 cta azúcar. (ojo, cta. y no 1/2 cda. que significa 'media cucharada' y es de las de sopa)
Por lo general 1 taza equivale a 250gr. o 1/4 litro/kilo. Por supuesto, no es exacto, pero salvo para mousses, es aproximadamente suficiente. 
Procuraré no invitar a nadie a comer mis postres. Las carnes perdonan mucho más.


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## Bevj

Es complicado porque la taza, que se usa para medir en la cocina de los EE.UU., no puede convertirse exactamente en gramos, pues depende del alimento.
Aquí hay unos exemplos.
Pero la respuesta corta y sencilla es que '1/2 cup' significa 'media taza' 

(He intentado hacer varias recetas convertiendo las medidas de tazas a gramos, y nunca me han salido bien  )


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## albertovidal

A pesar de lo que dice Inib en forma de broma, es cierto que la taza no es una medida estándar, a no ser que se especifique (y lo hacen en muchas recetas de cocina) si se refiere a una de de té o de café (cuyas dimensiones son bien diferentes).
Creo que, por lo general, se refiere a la medida de una taza de té.
Por lo cual sería:
1/2 taza (de té o de café)
1/2 cucharada de té


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## duvija

abertovidal said:


> A pesar de lo que dice Inib en forma de broma, es cierto que la taza no es una medida estándar, a no ser que se especifique (y lo hacen en muchas recetas de cocina) si se refiere a una de de té o de café (cuyas dimensiones son bien diferentes).
> Creo que, por lo general, se refiere a la medida de una taza de té.
> Por lo cual sería:
> 1/2 taza (de té o de café)
> 1/2 cucharada de té  ????
> *a) cucharita b) ' de té' es el tamaño, te falta el ingrediente.*..


 

Juaaaa, con eso sólo no vas a lograr más que un tecito muy liviano, y hasta sin agua. Mejor es el de las hojitas de ombú.


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## albertovidal

Muy divertido lo tuyo.
De todas maneras te digo que no se dice cucharita(esto significa una cuchara pequeña) sino una cucharadita!!!
Saludos
And have a good night
Alberto


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## pops91710

darthjavader said:


> In Chile, we say: "Media taza" y "Media cucharadita"
> 
> Regards



Oooh! That's right! She asked for media taza not full cup. DOH!


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## gengo

Your question has been answered, but remember that some Spanish speakers may not be familiar with those measures, so if the amounts are important, you might want to convert them to metric.


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## albertovidal

duvija said:


> Juaaaa, con eso sólo no vas a lograr más que un tecito muy liviano, y hasta sin agua. Mejor es el de las hojitas de ombú.


Te envío un enlace para que lo entiendas mejor.
Es de la RAE, así que debe ser cierto.
No se si en Uruguay usaís otra terminología pero, si hablamos de español, tenemos que ajustarnos a lo que dictamina la Real Academia Española.

http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltConsulta?TIPO_BUS=3&LEMA=cucharada
PD:
Por eso, no tanto jua!
Antes de rebatir a un forista, AVERIGUA!. No significa ser ignorante no saber algo, pero no cae bien criticar sin conocimiento


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## michellemione

Ahaha! All help was appreciated. Thank you both so much!


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## Oldy Nuts

gengo said:


> Your question has been answered, but remember that some Spanish speakers may not be familiar with those measures, so if the amounts are important, you might want to convert them to metric.


 
I would say that, in cooking, cups and teaspoons (tazas y cucharadas de té) are more or less universal units of measure. Not every housewife has graduated flasks/whatever, but all of them have cups and tea spoons of approximately the same capacities.


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## gengo

Oldy Nuts said:


> I would say that, in cooking, cups and teaspoons (tazas y cucharadas de té) are more or less universal units of measure. Not every housewife has graduated flasks/whatever, but all of them have cups and tea spoons of approximately the same capacities.



I stand corrected.  However, they are not universal.  In Japan, cups are not used.  (When I said "those measures," I was referring to cups, pints, quarts, and so forth.  I realize that tablespoons and teaspoons are common even in metric countries.)


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## Oldy Nuts

Gengo, it would seem you didn't notice my "more or less" before the "universal". And there was no reference to Japan in the original question...


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## Plangam

abertovidal said:


> usaís



Hasta donde yo sé, se escribe _usáis_.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa and Lebanon one cup is commonly defined as 250 millilitres (half a cup would be 125 mL..)
In the United States a customary cup is defined as half a U.S. pint. (473 mL. / 2):     
1 U.S. customary cup.  = 1/16 U.S. customary gallon. (236.5 mL.)

Si la receta es norteamericana, media taza sería 118 ml. (236.5 ml. / 2.)

In the United States one teaspoon is approximately 5 mL.

No voy a decir que todos los fabricantes de cucharillas siguen un estándar, pero, generalmente, las cucharaditas aquí son iguales a las _teaspoons_ usadas en Norteamérica. Aunque si un médico leyere esto me gustaría tener resaltado que, para evitar intoxicaciones, debería de recetar usando como medida los mililitros y no las "cucharaditas."

1/2 a cup = Poquito menos de media taza (118 ml..)
1/2 a teaspoon = Media cucharadita (2.5 ml..)


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## albertovidal

Plangam said:


> Hasta donde yo sé, se escribe _usáis_.
> __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
> 
> In Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa and Lebanon one cup is commonly defined as 250 millilitres (half a cup would be 125 mL..)
> In the United States a customary cup is defined as half a U.S. pint. (473 mL. / 2):
> 1 U.S. customary cup.  = 1/16 U.S. customary gallon. (236.5 mL.)
> 
> Si la receta es norteamericana, media taza sería 118 ml. (236.5 ml. / 2.)
> 
> In the United States one teaspoon is approximately 5 mL.
> 
> No voy a decir que todos los fabricantes de cucharas siguen un estándar, pero, generalmente, las cucharadas aquí son iguales a las usadas en Norteamérica. Aunque si un médico leyere esto me gustaría tener resaltado que, para evitar intoxicaciones, debería de recetar usando como medida los mililitros y no las "cucharaditas."


Disculpas por el error de la tilde. Es como tú dices usáis (fue un error de tipeo sólamente)
Respecto de las medidas tienes razón pero no te olvides que se está hablando de recetas de cocina y no de medicación, por que que si le pones a una masa 0,2 cm3 más o menos de sal o de harina, ni te intoxicas ni te mueres.
Saludos
Question: are u really 14 years old or this is a joke for the post?


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## Plangam

Creo que tecnicamente estoy más cerca de los 15 que de los 14, empero, supongo que en un registro legal se diría que tengo 14.

Respecto a lo anterior, *si fuere un médico quien lo leyere*, especifiqué. Este foro es, a la vez, de consulta, ¿no? Además, creo que en ningún momento se especificó que se estaba hablando de recetas de cocina, aún cuando esto sea lo más probable.


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## duvija

abertovidal said:


> Muy divertido lo tuyo.
> De todas maneras te digo que no se dice cucharita(esto significa una cuchara pequeña) sino una cucharadita!!!
> Saludos
> And have a good night
> Alberto


 

Cierto, cierto. Cucharadita y cucharada, o sea cta. y cda. Grandes medidas esas...


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## albertovidal

duvija said:


> Cierto, cierto. Cucharadita y cucharada, o sea cta. y cda. Grandes medidas esas...


Si lo tomamos en broma te diría que una cuchara sopera colmada es una cantidad importante, sobre todo, si fuera de alguna droga pesada!


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## inib

I think Plangam's intervention has been the most useful one as he/she has offered us a conversion to metric *capacity* measures. As Bevj pointed out to me, a weight conversion in grams would be useless as this would depend on the density of each ingredient.


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## Forero

Concuerdo con lo que dice Plangam.

Pero si las medidas son del U.K.:

1/2 cup puede ser 142 ml (284.1 / 2). Pero 1/2 teaspoon queda 2.5 ml .

¿De dónde son estas medidas, Michellemione?


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## Oldy Nuts

Como físico, y como nieto de una excelentísima cocinera que nunca medía nada, me siento desconcertado. Dudo muchísimo que un buen chef trabaje con una precisión de 1 ml para sus ingredientes; es decir, que se preocupe de agregar _exactamente_ 142 ml de leche, y no 141 ni 143. Si quisiera trabajar con esa precisión, debería usar pipetas graduadas o algo similar, y no tazas ni cucharas, para medir. Cuando mis tías (las hijas de mi abuela) le preguntaban "¿cuánto?", su respuesta más habitual era "así tanto" y mostraba el hueco de la palma de su mano. Y mis tías, a pesar de transformar sus "así tantos" en tazas y cucharadas, nunca llegaron al talón de mi abuela como cocineras, que ni siquiera probaba los platos que preparaba, sino que se guiaba principalmente por el olfato.

Lo que trato de decir es que la cocina es un arte, no una ciencia exacta.


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## Plangam

Receta norteamericana:
1/2 a cup = Poquito menos de media taza.
1/2 a teaspoon = Media cucharadita.

Receta británica:
1/2 a cup = Poco más de media taza.
1/2 a teaspoon = Media cucharadita.

Receta x en inglés.
1/2 a cup = media taza.
1/2 a teaspoon = Media cucharadita.

Supongo que puede funcionar así...


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## albertovidal

Totalmente de acuerdo con Oldy Nuts.
Hablamos de cocina y no de matemáticas.
Saludos para todos los foristas,
*And a happy 2011!!!!*


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## Maria003

..... and I didn't see anywhere in this thread:

A cup is 8 ounces.  Three teaspoons (cucharaditas) is a tablespoon.  (AE)


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## inib

Maria003 said:


> ..... and I didn't see anywhere in this thread:
> 
> A cup is 8 ounces. Three teaspoons (cucharaditas) is a tablespoon. (AE)


 Somewhere it WAS mentioned that a capacity measure can't be exactly converted to a weight measure, because it depends on the density of the ingredient, but it can be a help for approximate measures.


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## Oldy Nuts

inib said:


> Somewhere it WAS mentioned that a capacity measure can't be exactly converted to a weight measure, because it depends on the density of the ingredient, but it can be a help for approximate measures.



To me, _una cucharada/one spoonful_ etc are mere guiding helps that a good chef offers to those who are learning to be good chefs, and to people who will never become good chefs regardless of how carefully they measure, even if they make sure of adding _exactly_ 142 ml of milk, and _not_ 141 or 143. If you want it more clearly, I'll freely translate my grandmother's favorite answer to questions such as "how much pepper?": "_enough for guests to comment_ 'mmm, delicious, what is that special flavour?'_, but not so much that they say _'mm, it's delicious with pepper' ".


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## duvija

Oldy Nuts said:


> To me, _una cucharada/one spoonful_ etc are mere guiding helps that a good chef offers to those who are learning to be good chefs, and to people who will never become good chefs regardless of how carefully they measure, even if they make sure of adding _exactly_ 142 ml of milk, and _not_ 141 or 143. If you want it more clearly, I'll freely translate my grandmother's favorite answer to questions such as "how much pepper?": "_enough for guests to comment_ 'mmm, delicious, what is that special flavour?'_, but not so much that they say _'mm, it's delicious with pepper' ".


 

Your grandmother is a genious. I like that answer.


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## Oldy Nuts

duvija said:


> Your grandmother is a genious. I like that answer.



Unfortunatelly, she _was_. And so _was_ my mother; don't forget I'm 75...


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## duvija

Oldy Nuts said:


> Unfortunatelly, she _was_. And so _was_ my mother; don't forget I'm 75...


 

Uh, sorry, I never check ages...


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## Maria003

Inib--
At least in the US, there are fluid ounces and weight ounces.  When using recipes, a cup is equal to EXACTLY 8 FLUID ounces.  The measurement of ounces to volume conversions becomes difficult when the ounces are a measurement of weight.  When they are fluid, it doesn't matter how dense they are.  A fluid ounce is a measurement of volume.


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## Oldy Nuts

Maria003 said:


> Inib--
> At least in the US, there are fluid ounces and weight ounces.  When using recipes, a cup is equal to EXACTLY 8 FLUID ounces.  The measurement of ounces to volume conversions becomes difficult when the ounces are a measurement of weight.  When they are fluid, it doesn't matter how dense they are.  A fluid ounce is a measurement of volume.



And how does one make sure that the cup one is using contains EXACTLY 8 fluid ounces? Is the internal volume of cups standarized in the USA? Do all the cups in the country contain _exactly_ 8 fluid ounces when filled to the brim, or to some other standard level below the brim?


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## Maria003

Most people have a "measuring cup" and they are all 8 ounces.  I'm just pointing out that while in other countries, recipes using the word "cup" may be inexact, put in the US, anyone who has been through primary education knows that a cup in a recipe means use a measuring cup, and all measuring cups are 8 ounces


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## Oldy Nuts

Maria003 said:


> Most people have a "measuring cup" and they are all 8 ounces.  I'm just pointing out that while in other countries, recipes using the word "cup" may be inexact, put in the US, anyone who has been through primary education knows that a cup in a recipe means use a measuring cup, and all measuring cups are 8 ounces



And what about "a spoonful", "a teaspoon", and "half a teaspoon". Does everyone who cooks in the USA also have and use "measuring spoons"?


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## Maria003

Yes, most people do.  Now I don't know about people in isolated areas, but I would personally be really surprised to find someone who didn't have at least an 8-ounce measuring cup, if not a series of measuring cups. I have an old tin one, but now most people by them in glass or plastic in sets that give you a 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and full cup.  Some sets also come with "2 cups" and "3 cups" and measurements like that (where each cup equals 8 liquid ounces, that are ticket off on the sides of the glass sets).  My tin cup has 1/3, 1/4, 1/2, 2/3, and 3/4 tick marks on the inside.  I know that if I need 2 ounces of milk, I need to use the 1/4 tick mark.

The spoons (normally metal, but sometimes plastic) are often sold in sets that are connected with a ring.  They normally come with 1/4 tsp, 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, 1 tbsp.

Now don't get me wrong--there are still some of us that have family members with recipes that say "1 cup (yellow) of flour", and they know to use the "yellow cup."  But truly more often than not, especially with my generation (20s) we look recipes up on the internet or in a cook book, and a "cup" does default to that 8 ounces.  

Cheers~


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## Oldy Nuts

Maria, I have of course seen those "measuring instruments" you mention, but I have never had one, and I have been happily cooking for over 70 years (not every day, though) without using any of them. Cooking is an art for me, not an exact science, and I take recipes as mere guides, not as medical prescriptions to be followed to the letter ..., or to the next 1/16 tsp.


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## Maria003

I, too cook often without the use of measurements.  You will find this is more indicative of a person who is comfortable with cooking.  There are of course many people who are not good at cooking, and so such measurements are useful to those people.  Obviously cooking may be an art for some, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a valid tool to have constancy.

Furthermore, where you are you may have had the leisure of learning to cook on your own or learning from someone else.  I know many mothers who work more than 40 hours a week, keep a clean home, and have to cook as well.  Being able to consult a new recipe with exact measurements allows such mothers to actually provide their families with home-cooked meals, as opposed to the other option, which is poorly-cooked, repetitive or boxed meals.  We all have different skills, goals and time constraints.  

I was merely pointing out that in my culture, we all know that a cup is a standardized measurement.


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## gengo

Oldy Nuts said:


> And what about "a spoonful", "a teaspoon", and "half a teaspoon". Does everyone who cooks in the USA also have and use "measuring spoons"?



Just to confirm Maria003's reply, yes.  The spoons are usually connected on a ring.  We do not use regular eating spoons for such measurements, but rather measuring spoons, which do indeed have a standardized volume.  Virtually every household in the US has at least one measuring cup, graduated in fluid ounces, and a set of measuring spoons.

The US is very backward in this respect, and I cling to the faint hope that my country will join the rest of the world by adopting the metric system before I die.


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## Oldy Nuts

Maria, I wasn't criticising those who have to rely on measuring everything to cook anything. My point is that there may be other factors that are more important than exact quantities. Take olive oil, for example. If a recipe says "1/2 cup of olive oil", don't you think that the large variety of flavours and aromas of the different olive oils one can buy make the actual meaning of "1/2 cup" rather unimportant, and therefore any old tea cup would do even for the least gifted?  And if those who will eat the dish dislike olive oil, couldn't one perhaps replace the olive oil by some other vegetable oil they do like, instead of looking for another recipe that doesn't contain olive oil, making again the exactly "1/2 cup" concept unimportant?

And if by "in my culture" you mean among the average American people (whatever that means), I'd be surprised if they "all" really know that a cup is a standardized measurement.


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## gengo

Oldy Nuts said:


> And if by "in my culture" you mean among the average American people (whatever that means), I'd be surprised if they "all" really know that a cup is a standardized measurement.



I would be astonished if they did not.  It is common knowledge, just as is the fact that a foot is twelve inches.


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## Maria003

ON--I didn't mean to sound offensive.  I'm just trying to portray that in the US, we know that a cup is standardized.  Without being rude, only people from low socio-economic statuses don't know.  I was trying not to say it earlier, but it is a cultural element that exists.  Other than people without a middle-school level education (5th-8th), we do know that a cup is standardized.


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## Maria003

Gengo--Good luck on your hope.  Americans need their feet and inches.  They don't know what to do without them.  Except for runners... They have a better idea of metric!


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## Oldy Nuts

Gengo, you also say that "virtually every household in the US has at least...", so I will have to accept that as a fact. Which comes as a surprise.

As to your faint hope, I think you are too optimistic. When I was still studying at the university, I used to think that the International System of Units SI would be very soon the only system of units used throughout the world. Many decades later, in this country where the SI is the official system of units, nails and screws are still measured in _pulgadas_ (inches), tyre pressures in _libras_ (pounds, not even in psi), ...


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## Oldy Nuts

Maria, you have not written in this thread anything that has sounded in the least offensive to me. And as I said in my reply to Gengo, the fact that one can expect to find those measuring devices in most American households has been a complete surprise for me.


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## pops91710

Oldy Nuts said:


> And if by "in my culture" you mean among the average American people, I'd be surprised if they "all" really know that a cup is a standardized measurement.


 
These are basic weights and measures taught at the elementary school level here in the USA. 

I have never been in a home where these measuring cups and spoons were not present. They are as common and needed as light bulbs. Virtually every supermarket sells them. I dare say there may be some bachelor pads that won't have them around, but I'll bet his refrigerator has nothing more than a six-pack of beer in it, too!

To be fair, however, if you were to conduct a 'person-on-the-street' survey, some will not know a cup is eight ounces. But, they will also probably not know George Washington was the first US president, either. (I have seen some of those embarrassing types of on-the-street interviews).


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## Maria003

Oh definitely.  My husband, an engineer, still has to be reminded of how many ounces are in 1/2 cup.  But he does know that a cup is a certain measurement (even though he always has to ask me what it is  )


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## gengo

Oldy Nuts said:


> I said in my reply to Gengo, the fact that one can expect to find those measuring devices in most American households has been a complete surprise for me.



Supongo que la razón por la que es una sorpresa es que en español una taza casi siempre es una cosa tangible, mientras que en inglés puede ser tanto una cosa tangible como una unidad de medida, y aunque usamos la misma palabra en ambos contextos, nadie confunde los dos sentidos.


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## Oldy Nuts

gengo said:


> Supongo que la razón por la que es una sorpresa es que en español una taza casi siempre es una cosa tangible, mientras que en inglés puede ser tanto una cosa tangible como una unidad de medida, y aunque usamos la misma palabra en ambos contextos, nadie confunde los dos sentidos.



No, la razón es que casi nunca las he visto en casas que he visitado, y casi nunca he visto usarlas. Para la mayoría de la gente de por aquí, "una taza" y "una cucharada" no son para nada medidas estandarizadas, y significan respectivamente lo que cabe en _cualquier_ taza de té (aunque para muchos el concepto se asocia con un volumen aproximado de 1/4 de litro, que curiosamente son como 8 onzas y media), y con lo que cabe en cualquier cuchara sopera (y aquí no conozco asociación con algún volumen definido).

Para los demás: sí, ya entendí que es un concepto que por allá "todos" entienden, así que no es necesario que lo sigan confirmando...


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## gengo

Oldy Nuts said:


> Para la mayoría de la gente de por aquí, "una taza" y "una cucharada" no son para nada medidas estandarizadas, y significan respectivamente lo que cabe en _cualquier_ taza de té



Creo que "una taza de xxx" en ese sentido no se traduciría como "a cup of xxx," sino como "a cupful of xxx," término que tambien significa lo que cabe en cualquier taza, sea de té, de café, or lo que sea (de más o menos el mismo tamaño).  Es una medida imprecisa.  Por otro lado, a cup siempre se refiere a una medida precisa (cuando estamos hablando de medidas).


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## inib

María003,
I've been living "on the continent" (as my Dad used to say) for so long that I'd completely forgotten about the existence of *fluid ounces,* but you're quite right...there's no problem with density there, because it's basically a volume measurement. I haven't seen one for about 45 years, but I seem to remember that my grandma (in UK, not USA) had something called a "measuring spoon". It was a fascinating old thing with lots of lines around it. Thanks for making me reminisce. 
I've never seen a "measuring cup", but I do have now what I'd call a "measuring jug". However, the measures are expressed in grams and the lines are higher or lower, depending on whether you want 100 g of sugar, flour or any other dry ingredient.
(However, for practicality, I do think it would be helpful if we Anglo's were a bit more willing to use the metric system. I, at least, was taught it from the age of about 10 onwards, and it was easier and more international that the imperial system).

(If I've repeated or misinterpreted, I stand my defence on the fact that I hadn't seen there was a whole third page on this subject! Oldynuts, I wish I'd had the honour to be your granny's guest - she was the best, no doubt)


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## gengo

Here is a photo of a measuring cup, and these are measuring spoons.  In the US, at least, we don't (as far as I know) use a single measuring spoon that is graduated for different volumes, and instead use a set of spoons that each have a set volume.  Containers of baking powder and other such powders have D-shaped openings so that you can level off the spoon on the flat side as you remove it from the container.


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## Mauro_Leo

Una pregunta gente...., como se diria en iNGLES.... 
agregar 2 MEDIDAS de ...
despues, agregar 1 MEDIDA de....

la palabra MEDIDA..., sera acaso: MEASURE(S)...


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## Mmart

Mauro_Leo, sería PART.
1 part flour, 2 parts water...


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## Mauro_Leo

Claro..., tienes mucha razon... gracias...


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