Stupid thick Spanish language question

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Campo Kenny

Stupid thick Spanish language question

Postby Campo Kenny » Tue Sep 11, 2007 4:46 pm

Just phoned the airport for the guys to dig my car out for tomorrow :D

I did it all in Spanish but he answered the phone with a word I hear loads over there and keep on meaning to check what it means..........had a look now in dictionary but to no avail as I don't know how to spell it even.

It sounds like......."beg o me" but said as if one word.
Love to know what that means.

Cheers,
Kenny

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Postby blondie » Tue Sep 11, 2007 4:53 pm

Was it dígame?

means "tell me" literally, but in English there probably isn´t a direct translation

Campo Kenny

Postby Campo Kenny » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:06 pm

Nice one Blondie, could be I suppose. Just wondering what context they use it in though.I hear it an awful lot.

I actually said "Hola esta Kenny para mi car, can tu lavada it for mi as well por favor, y make sure its batteria is vale"

so he said "digame......... matricula" so it could be right....do you think?

Ahhh another new word learnt 8)

Thanks,
Kenny

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Postby blondie » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:09 pm

ha ha

I like youre spanish style :P

Its basically used on phones , isntead of saying hello, for example. In the less formal usage they say díme, kind of whats up, or what can I do for you, you hear it in shops too.

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Postby jennyshaw » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:10 pm

Yes Kenny it will be Digame, similar to speak to me, when i first heard I thought they were talking in rap-speak. :shock:
Jenny

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Postby Jennifer » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:16 pm

Hi Kenny,

diga mi from decir to say

so "speak to me"

always think this sounds a bit harsh prefer " hello"

Regards
J

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Postby blondie » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:19 pm

Wat you have to remember Jenny, is that for them it means hello, and is actually quite a formal thing to say - they wouldn´t dream of saying hola answering a phone - it would probably seem rude to them.

Campo Kenny

Postby Campo Kenny » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:23 pm

Question answered.....many thanks for that girls!

Kenny

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Postby Beachcomber » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:24 pm

The word Dígame was the first Spanish word I ever learnt. It was the title of the first year BBC radio and TV language course published in the mid 1970s. I still have the videos, audio cassettes and book.

It was an excellent course but is now obviously very dated.

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Postby Jennifer » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:27 pm

Hi Blondie,
I use it over here no problem, its just the sound makes me think of "what do you want !"
Regards
J

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Postby jennyshaw » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:29 pm

My first words before I open my mouth to try and speak Spanish are ohh errr, my other half asked me why, I said that it gives the Spanish person enough time to realise that I am British and can only speak tourist Spanish. :shock: :lol: :lol:
Jenny

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Postby blondie » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:31 pm

Hi Jenny

I do understand what you mean, especially for us Brits who use please and thank you all the time. On the other hand for all our pleasantries and politeness in regards to our speach, youre much more likely to get your head kicked in in the UK, which I find quite ironic. :oops:

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Postby katy » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:34 pm

:lol: :lol: Kenny, your Spanish is coming on in leaps and bounds. Sometimes in private offices they will just say -Diga-. When my OH was very new to Spanish he rang for our car and called the Insurance breakdown service instead. What a conversation that was...he thought they were telling him that the car was in an accident and he was getting really irate. He was saying what happened to my car and they were saying "I don't know you have to tell me". If recorded it would have made a good spanish comedy scene.

Campo Kenny

Postby Campo Kenny » Tue Sep 11, 2007 5:36 pm

:lol:............certainly glad I asked about that word now, I can honestly say I've learned something new today.

Anyway.......Adios Amigos.

Kenny

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Postby Faire d'Income » Tue Sep 11, 2007 6:24 pm

'ta luego.

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Postby McT » Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:49 pm

You must have been speaking with cultured Spaniards. Round here it's 'alue'!

McT

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Postby Troglodyfae » Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:56 pm

Around here it is 'Que es?' this means a host of things here believe me.


My one big thing here is why, when you say goodbye to someone do they constantly change the goal posts. You say it one way they respond another, and it matters not which way you say it they will respond in a different way,

Having been here for eight years this remains a mystery to me or are they just extracting the Michael ?

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Postby Colinm » Wed Sep 12, 2007 11:13 am

We also have many ways of saying 'goodbye' in 'English'...
bye, goodbye, see ya, take care, cheers, be good, adios, ciao, and many others..
It really depends on the person and the location.
I think it is more informal to use a different greeting or goodbye, to the one offered to you, or by you.

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Postby blondie » Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:18 pm

I find it bizarre when you pass someone you know in the street and the "hasta luego" instead of Hi like we say in English. First time it happened I thought it was cos they didnt want to speak to me! :lol:

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Postby Dealer » Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:35 pm

Troglodyfae wrote:Around here it is 'Que es?' this means a host of things here believe me.
In Northern Spain the men answer the phone with "Quién es" said abruptly this is what I use. :shock:
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