# Espa~ol vs. English



## Edher

Saludos,

          I would like to read some of your opinions about language advantages. In other words, what characteristics of English language makes it at times more efficient than Spanish and vice versa.

For example, I believe one of English's advantages over Spanish is that virtually every noun can be turned into a verb.

Edher


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## Outsider

Hi, Edher.

Virtually every noun can be turned into a verb in Spanish, too. E.g.:

copia -> copi*ar*
teléfono -> telefon*ar*
telégrafo -> telegraf*ar*


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## alc112

Littile corrections



			
				Outsider said:
			
		

> Hi, Edher.
> 
> Virtually every noun can be turned into a verb in Spanish, too. E.g.:
> 
> copia -> copi*ar*
> teléfono -> telefon*iar*
> telégrafo -> telegraf*iar*


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## alc112

Creo que la pronunciacióno del español es más facil que la del inglés
Si decimos por ejemplo:
Extraordinario y Ordinario, "ordinario2 se pronuncia igula en todo slos casos, ya que "or" se pronuncia "or", "di" se pronuncia "di", "na" se pronuncia "na" y "rio" se pronuncia "rio" (aunque está la excepción si está al principio d ela palabra)
En cambio, (hasta lo que sé) en Put y But la "u" no se pronuncia igual

Saludos


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## cuchuflete

No veo grandes diferencias en la flexibilidad de las dos lenguas. Se puede inventar neologismos en las dos, según la necesidad y la creatividad del autor.

Estoy de acuerdo con ALC en cuanto a la pronunciación.  El inglés es un desastre  Hay que aprender palabra por palabra.

cuchu


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## belén

alc112 said:
			
		

> Littile *little* corrections



Es "telefonear" 

Regarding the original question...

English doesn't have graphic accents, doesn't have masculine and feminine, the verbs conjugations are limited. 

I think that this is one of the reasons it is becoming the esperanto of our times, it is really not such a difficult language to learn.

Best


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## alc112

belen said:
			
		

> Es "telefonear"
> 
> Regarding the original question...


 
Tienes razón, me quedó la manía de cuando puse telegrafiar
Gracias


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## Outsider

Gracias por las correcciones. Me sorprende la cantidad de pequeñas diferencias entre nuestras lenguas hermanas!


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## cuchuflete

Back to the original question,  I find that English has a wider variety of technical words, while Spanish, and the other Romance languages, are better for expressing nuances of emotion.  See the huge thread about 'te quiero/te amo/te adoro/I love you' for a salient example of this.

cuchu


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## Outsider

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> [...]  I find that English has a wider variety of technical words [than Spanish] [...]


I have to ask how you know that...


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## Edher

Outsider said:
			
		

> Hi, Edher.
> 
> Virtually every noun can be turned into a verb in Spanish, too. E.g.:
> 
> copia -> copi*ar*
> teléfono -> telefon*ar*
> telégrafo -> telegraf*ar*



Right, but I believe this is far more common in English. Such is the case in this expression,

"Let me *buzz * you in so you can *hand* me the files so I can *bill * my client."

In Spanish it would be something like,

"Deja presiono el boton para que me des los archivos y asi pueda mandarle la cuenta a mi cliente."

Edher


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## Artrella

Edher said:
			
		

> Right, but I believe this is far more common in English. Such is the case in this expression,
> 
> "Let me *buzz * you in so you can *hand* me the files so I can *bill * my client."
> 
> In Spanish it would be something like,
> 
> "Deja *preciono* el boton para que me des los archivos y asi pueda mandarle la cuenta a mi cliente."
> 
> Edher




Deja pre*s*iono el botón ....


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## Outsider

Edher said:
			
		

> Right, but I believe this is far more common in English. Such is the case in this expression,
> 
> "Let me *buzz * you in so you can *hand* me the files so I can *bill * my client."
> 
> In Spanish it would be something like,
> 
> "Deja preciono el boton para que me des los archivos y asi pueda mandarle la cuenta a mi cliente."
> 
> Edher


If you look hard enough, I bet you'll also find Spanish verbs made from nouns that have no equivalent verb-from-noun in English. I admit that it may be a more common process in English, but what is it that makes it an advantageous feature?


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## Edher

Of course, contractions make conversations more brief. However, at times they can be confusing, especially when one is learning. Personally, I find it easier to read 

"The three apples of the tree."

than

"The tree's three apples."

Edher


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## Edher

Artrella said:
			
		

> Deja pre*s*iono el botón ....



Artrella, Artrella,
mas rapida que la luz de una estrella.

Edher


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## Edher

Outsider said:
			
		

> If you look hard enough, I bet you'll also find Spanish verbs made from nouns that have no equivalent verb-from-noun in English. I admit that it may be a more common process in English, but what is it that makes it an advantageous feature?



An advantage is that you can represent an entire event with a simple verb. For example, this is quite an awkward example but, years ago, a friend and I would carry out a ritual everytime we would go by another friend's apartment (part of the "Villa" complex) I can't really say what that ritual is but all that I can say is that it didn't please my other friend (the apartment owner) that much. So whenever my friends would go by my house, I would tell them to not even think about "villaing" my house.

Edher


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## Edher

In addition, most of the time you don't need to add prefixes in English to turn a noun into a verb, you can simply use noun as it is as a verb.

Edher


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## Outsider

Edher said:
			
		

> An advantage is that you can represent an entire event with a simple verb. For example, this is quite an awkward example but, years ago, a friend and I would carry out a ritual everytime we would go by another friend's apartment (part of the "Villa" complex) I can't really say what that ritual is but all that I can say is that it didn't please my other friend (the apartment owner) that much. So whenever my friends would go by my house, I would tell them to not even think about "villaing" my house.
> 
> Edher


_Villar_?   



			
				Edher said:
			
		

> In addition, most of the time you don't need to add prefixes in English to turn a noun into a verb, you can simply use noun as it is as a verb.
> 
> Edher


You do add infixes when you conjugate the new verb. E.g., "to buzz, buzzed, buzzing". It's just that conjugation is very simple in English.


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## Edher

Outsider said:
			
		

> _Villar_?
> 
> 
> You do add infixes when you conjugate the new verb. E.g., "to buzz, buzzed, buzzing". It's just that conjugation is very simple in English.



Correct, therefore, I consider that an advantage.

Edher


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## Outsider

The fact that conjugation is easier in English? But that's a bit independent of the fact that you can easily turn a noun into a verb.
However, to go back to your original point, I think the straighforwardness with which nouns can be converted into verbs (and adjectives!) in English may be more related to the synctatic rigidity of English.

The *bill* is expensive.
I need the files to *bill* my client.
He *handed* me the files, and then gave me a *hand* shake with his large *hand*.

The mere position of the word in the sentence usually tells you whether it's a noun, a verb, or an adjective. This may be a better way to frame your idea.


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## Philippa

alc112 said:
			
		

> Creo que la pronunciacióno del español es más facil que la del inglés


Y el otro lado de eso es que la ortografía castellana es mucho más fácil.
Philippa 
ortográficamente-deficiente (orthographically-challenged?!!)


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## te gato

As an English speaker..or intended English speaker.. 
I personally think that our language would be a very hard language for the 'non' speakers to learn..Yes we have more technical terms..as cuchu has previously pointed out...
We also are very liberal in our usage of words..
Take for example..'love'...we use the word to describe a lot of things..'I love sports'..'I love cookies'...yadda, yadda...to describe our feelings for something...are we going to marry these items...I think not..... 
Yes we have 'rules' that we are supposed to stick to..I use the word supposed...very lightly..quite often the rules are broken...
Then add..short forms...long forms..determiners..subordinators..nouns..adjectives..pronouns..verbs...
phaysal verbs...synonoms...prepositions....it can get somewhat confusing... and we haven't even touched the area of punctuation yet.....or style and usage...Capitalizing....I'm just confused writing about it!!!
Spelling....(my most hated topic)...We have words that sound the same when spoken....yet are spelled differently and the definitions are different...Example..There..their..
Then plurals..tricky plurals..which are words that look like plurals but are actually singular...
Written as opposed to spoken...American usage..Canadian usage...British usage...Alberta usage...yadda, yadda, yadda.........
Then on top of all of this add slang....

After writing this I have only one thing to say...I give you all credit...and bow to you....
te gato


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## Eustache

En español español es muy comun desmembrar las estructuras de la oración... es decir!:

los sujetos pueden estar cualquier lugar asi como los complementos directos y demás y aun asi se entiende... lo que permirte una flexibilidad mayor, claro que para los que estan aprendiendo nuestra legua es muy complicado.

Por otro lado nuestro los pronombres personales también los vuelven locos...

creo que es la tercera vez que utilizo este ejemplo en el foro:
situación: un bota su helado y su mamá le dice:

 "ayy bichito de luz... se me le cayó el heladito?"... simplemente imposible de enteder para alguien que no sea nativo...


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## cuchuflete

te gato said:
			
		

> As an English speaker..or intended English speaker..
> I personally think that our language would be a very hard language for the 'non' speakers to learn..Yes we have more technical terms..as cuchu has previously pointed out...
> We also are very liberal in our usage of words..
> Take for example..'love'...we use the word to describe a lot of things..'I love sports'..'I love cookies'...yadda, yadda...to describe our feelings for something...are we going to marry these items...I think not.....
> Yes we have 'rules' that we are supposed to stick to..I use the word supposed...very lightly..quite often the rules are broken...
> Then add..short forms...long forms..determiners..subordinators..nouns..adjectives..pronouns..verbs...
> phaysal verbs...synonoms...prepositions....it can get somewhat confusing... and we haven't even touched the area of punctuation yet.....or style and usage...Capitalizing....I'm just confused writing about it!!!
> Spelling....(my most hated topic)...We have words that sound the same when spoken....yet are spelled differently and the definitions are different...Example..There..their..
> Then plurals..tricky plurals..which are words that look like plurals but are actually singular...
> Written as opposed to spoken...American usage..Canadian usage...British usage...Alberta usage...yadda, yadda, yadda.........
> Then on top of all of this add slang....
> 
> After writing this I have only one thing to say...I give you all credit...and bow to you....
> te gato



And you forgot a very important distinction Te Gato...Spanish doesn't have
"Yadda yadda!"
C.


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## te gato

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> And you forgot a very important distinction Te Gato...Spanish doesn't have
> "Yadda yadda!"
> C.


Hey cuchu;
He he he.....
Does any language but mine?? 
Is it too late to add it to the Spanish language?

te gato


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## garryknight

Edher said:
			
		

> I believe one of English's advantages over Spanish is that virtually every noun can be turned into a verb.



I'm not sure that verbing nouns is an advantage. I'd never verb a noun myself, of course.


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## Artrella

alc112 said:
			
		

> Littile corrections




*English Advantages * >> It is more economical a language than Spanish.  You don't have so many tenses as in Spanish, you don't have differentiation in gender, only one definite article fits singular, plural nouns; adjectives are always singular no need of changing them according to the noun.  Verb conjugations is very reduced, you only have variations in 3rd person singular.  No stem changing but in irregular pasts.

*English disadvantages * >>> pronunciation-lack of an organised corpus as regards language rules (cf RAE).  No syllable division- Different spelling for different countries (AmE vs BrE)- Different stressing in words for different countries (eg word "necessary" in Am/BrE)- Poorer vocabulary

*Spanish Advantages* >>> you have a wider vocabulary than the English's (eg, *to love* vs *amar, que**rer*)- Pronunciation -  Existence of a Language normative corpus (RAE) with clear rules -  
*
Spanish Disadvantages * >>> morphological marked cases (acusativo, nominativo, dativo  >> te- tí) - A lot of tenses- Stem changing in all tenses when we are dealing with irregular verbs- Impersonal sentences- Differentiation in gender (adjectives-articles, etc)


  I have to think of other adv/disadv...


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## Benjy

*Spanish Advantages* >>> you have a wider vocabulary than the English's (eg, *to love* vs *amar, que**rer*)

http://spanish.about.com/library/questions/aa-q-size_of_language.htm

i beg to differ


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## Outsider

Artrella said:
			
		

> *
> Spanish Disadvantages * >>> morphological marked cases (acusativo, nominativo, dativo  >> te- tí)


If you're talking about pronouns, then they change in English, too: I vs. me, he vs. him, she vs. her, we vs. us, etc. The best you could say is that there are less "cases" in English than in Spanish.


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## blancalaw

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> Back to the original question,  I find that English has a wider variety of technical words, while Spanish, and the other Romance languages, are better for expressing nuances of emotion.  See the huge thread about 'te quiero/te amo/te adoro/I love you' for a salient example of this.
> 
> cuchu




Nunca me di cuenta de eso, That is a good point.  So every language has it's advantages and disadvantages.  If you want to talk to an official, talk in English, but if you want to talk to your love, talk in Spanish.


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## SpiceMan

(old post back alive!)
Am I the only one that thinks that most if not all of these "disadvantages" are actually what people find cumbersome because they think it's easier in their own language? (which is obviously that way since you're a native!)

However, I'll try to think things I find nice or annoying about english 

hmm no genders, usually handy but confusing sometimes:
- I'm gonna introduce you to my friend
vs
- Te voy a presentar a una amiga
In the second case I get all hyped up right away because its earlier rather than later that I know the friend is a "she", which is nice 
Also avoid being disappointed if I imagined it was a "she" and it turns out to be a "he", which is also nice 

I "think" in spanish, and I can't help but feel that english limits your tenses. Even though I'm from Argentina where we don't use future tense nor pretérito perfecto.

Words like "love" (gustar, querer, amar, etc), "free" (gratis, libre, vacío) makes me think of a richer vocabulary for intangibles. That said, I can't recall a single situation when I felt limited by the english language, even talking about philosophy or the like.

Slang: I'm a heavy slang user in spoken spanish, and  feel english' slang is limited. I repeat: I kind of _feel_ this. No basis at all. Although there's a lot of slang, it seems that talking "improperly" mainly revolves on adding f*cking at every place you'd say an adjective or adverb.

However, I think that english portmanteaux are great! Which can also be done in spanish but is way more rare compared to the highly prolific production of portmanteaux in the english language.

On a second though, all this things I'm pointing out are the usual way people use the language rather than limitations of the language by itself.


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## panjabigator

> Even though I'm from Argentina where we don't use future tense nor pretérito perfecto.



I know the preterite perfect isn't used in Spanish at all, but what is this about the future tense?  Is everything an "Ir a" construction?


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## Layzie

Another aspect of the spanish verb structure that wasnt looked at. We can omit "I, We, He, They" and know what's appropriate just by the verb's ending.

Canto -> I sing
Canté -> I sang
Cantamos -> We sing
Cantan -> They sing
Cantaron -> They sung
cantaban -> They were singing
Cantarian -> They would sing

How much more efficient can you get? Not even french does that becuase they have several endings pronounced the same way. It saves words


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## vince

With the different verb inflections, Spanish creates a situation where there is distinctive stress.

i.e. two words are pronounced exactly the same, but have a different meaning depending on which syllable the stress falls on.

I am not sure whether Spanish-learners from language backgrounds that don't have distinctive stress would have a problem with this. (e.g. French)

Canto = I sing, but Cantó = She/he sang
Cante = Sing! but Canté = I sang


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