Why do I keep getting the same word wrong!

[concorde]

My Spanish is not brilliant but I keep trying, but why is it I cannot get a simple word right?

My brain simply cannot differentiate between the words cuarto/cuarto

for e.g.
I have asked for 4 kilos of mushrooms, which caused great amusement in our local small supermarket, as the assistant proceeded to pile mushrooms onto the scales and I'm shouting 'too many'

I have also asked for 4 mushrooms apparently, these were duly weighed, bagged and priced, since I was distracted while this was happening, i didn't have the nerve to ask for more, and had to go to another shop for the remainder.

Perhaps it would be better to ask for my mushrooms in grammes but knowing my luck I'd end up with 4 tonnes.

There must be others here that have a complete mental block/thickie moment, please tell me I'm not the only one.

Although thinking about it, in France I thought I was being very fluent, but instead of asking "Where are the toilets" to the cafe owner, I actually said "You are a toilet"

[julian]

"My brain simply cannot differentiate between the words cuarto/cuarto "............nor can mine !!!!!

[katy]

[Cassandra]

I've done exactly the same, except it was 4 kilos of cheese I asked for Fortunately, the owner of our village shop is used to dumb foreigners and just gave me a quarter kilo. She even managed to keep a straight face, at least until I was out of the shop

[mirandamac]

Yes, you're not alone. In Germany, many years ago when staying in a small hotel, we were heading into the local town with our teenage children, to get an evening meal. I asked what time they locked the doors and when asked when we'd be back I stupidly said "Zwei Uhr" (spelling won't be right these days, sorry) meaning, a couple of hours but actually saying 2 o clock. I was surprised when they looked so shocked and gave us a key with explicit instructions as to which door to use. It was not till we got back, lots of people still in the bar that it registered in my slow brain what I'd done. I didn't even have the excuse of advancing age then and neither of my teenagers, both of whom spoke quite good German, had thought to correct me.

[Paula]

My brain simply cannot differentiate between the words cuarto/cuarto

Therein lies your problem Concorde

If its any consolation, for some reason I had that problem when first moved here, ended up with enough sardines to feed the population of Elviria on one shopping expedition. For a few months I used to go to the deli counter in numerous supermarkets asking for cien gramos de jamon, as I couldn't trust my mouth to ask for the correct amount.
It will suddenly click

[frog]

excuse me if im wrong but isnt four,cuatro

cuarto is fourth or a quarter so if the guy gives you 4 kilos he is having a laugh

i may be wrong im no expert,when i first moved here though i had know problem buying mince as i just thought of star trek tng

you could always just write it down

[julian]

good job we have you here frog to state the bl...... obvious

[jan400]

You are not alone. My spanish friend has lived in the UK for 14 years and still goes into ASDA and asks for a "cooked kitchen"

[Paula]

My English friends Spanish husband took the kids to the cinema in Leicester Square and asked for a bucket of kokporrrrn

[ICCSL]

If you want to get it exactly right ask for

"un cuarto de un kilo"

And if they don't understand you, write it down and hand it to them!!!!

[RichardCoeurdeLion]

I used to have the same trouble.

This is how I remember it.

cuarto= quarter= fourth... "cuarto" sounds almost the same as "quarter"

cuatro= 4... think Suzi Quatro . How many strings on her bass (guitar)........... four.

Mind you if you have to converse with Johnny Foreigner, I think the best way is to add "o" onto everything, wave your arms about a lot, and shout.

[silver]

un cuarto de cheese or what ever...leave the kilo bit out then you will have no problems.

[RichardCoeurdeLion]

or how about "doscientoscincuenta grammos"

No matter what you ask for, you'll always get more.

[karandjon]

Yes, you're not alone. In Germany, many years ago when staying in a small hotel, we were heading into the local town with our teenage children, to get an evening meal. I asked what time they locked the doors and when asked when we'd be back I stupidly said "Zwei Uhr" (spelling won't be right these days, sorry) meaning, a couple of hours but actually saying 2 o clock. I was surprised when they looked so shocked and gave us a key with explicit instructions as to which door to use. It was not till we got back, lots of people still in the bar that it registered in my slow brain what I'd done. I didn't even have the excuse of advancing age then and neither of my teenagers, both of whom spoke quite good German, had thought to correct me.

heehee Miranda! That reminds me of when we were in Germany and I asked what time the doors were locked. They said halb elf (half eleven), then there was a punch code for after that. I said "oh no, no need for the code, we´ll be back before then".....only to find the doors locked when we got back at 11 o´clock ....only finding out the next day the germans say "half to eleven" not half past eleven"!

[frog]

well julien,the op stated they could not pronounce the difference between cuarto/cuarto

not cuartro so it is a good job i was there as you still may be confused

[julian]

thankyou frog, although we had managed to work out the spelling mistake without your help, although you have managed to confuse me now with this "cuartro" word you use.

[katy]

I am confused now, I thought we were all on the same level of humour when Cassandra made the deliberate mistake but not sure now.

[julian]

and what deliberate mistake did Cassandra make?

[Cassandra]

I don't make deliberate mistakes I'm just stupid

I think Concorde was the original cuarto/cuarto poster, I just ordered lots of cheese