Anyone who has learned some Spanish knows that gato is cat. But did you know it has other meanings?
One of the strangest is that a car jack is called a gato. On certain types of jacks they look similar to a cat when arching its back. This action pushes the car up. That is the […]

Ramo is a bouquet or a branch. The word can also mean a cluster or bunch which is why it is used for bouquet.
When used for branch it can mean a branch of a tree or a branch of science. When talking about a branch of science it could further be translated with the word […]

Llevar and traer are similar words in that they involve the transportation of an object. But which is used depends on how it is used.
Llevar means to take and traer means to bring.
A package that is to be transported to a place other than where you are, no matter by whom, is llevar or to […]

We just got home from the state fair. Something we always eat there are called churros. They are a deep fried batter covered with sugar and cinnamon. Something like a donut. Sometimes they are shaped into circles and sometimes they are just straight like sticks.
I read that they are a popular breakfast food in Spain […]

Besides being something we drink cola has a lot of uses in Spanish. Interestingly, when talking about a drink I don’t think I have heard it referred to as just cola. They are generically called refrescos where we live.
When first hearing the word cola I immediately think of an animal’s tail. From there it can […]

When reading about local events on handbills and posters, they often refer to a croquis. They are talking about a map or drawing to help you arrive at the right location.
Croquis is a sketch or drawing.

If you watch children’s programs here long enough you will hear a reference to Príncipe Azul. Translated literally it means blue prince. But its significance is Prince Charming, just like in the fairy tales, or the ideal man.
I’m not completely sure why blue is used but some things I have read say it could refer […]

With today being Thanksgiving, el Día de Acción de Gracias, I thought I would give you another way to say thank you. Agradecer is a bit trickier in that it is a verb and not a noun like gracias.
If you try to apply the word appreciate to agradesco, it will really help you understand how […]

Colegio does not mean college necessarily. It can be if applied to a group of people, but typically it is used to mean school, and usually school up to the American English understanding of college. An American English college would be universidad in Spanish.
However, there are times when colegio can be applied to mean college […]

I have always heard the word pelón applied to someone’s baldness. Often it is used as a term of endearment. You can used it to refer to your bald friend.
This weekend I was helping to track down a wiring problem in a building. This was a new building and the wiring had just been run, […]