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A Textbook of Colloquial Spanish

Brian Steel
Copyright 2007 Brian Steel

An electronic re-issue of an advanced textbook and reference work on

Colloquial Spanish
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Preface
This textbook, with its copious textual and supplementary examples, is designed to
serve as an ancillary coursebook for advanced students of Spanish and as a reference work
for them and for Spanish teachers and translators.
The material is an essential part of the Spanish that advanced students and teachers
need to understand (and sometimes to translate): colloquial Spanish; its classification and
presentation in this textbook is an attempt to speed up and render more efficient the processes
of recognition and comprehension. Both the explanatory examples in the text and the 1560
supplementary examples for study and translation have been carefully selected to illustrate
the colloquial points and to offer a great deal of additional lexical and cultural information of
interest and use to potential readers.
The inspiration for this textbook has been my concern over many years to contribute
to the improvement of the advanced teaching of Spanish. Although the selection,
classification and presentation of this material are entirely my own, I have been greatly aided
in my task by a large number of books and articles which are listed in the second part of the
Bibliography. Rather than encumber the textbook with footnotes, additional to the large
number of language notes that I have felt necessary to add in the body of the text, I have
preferred to incorporate in the text examples from my major academic sources where these
were short enough and not too obscure in isolation from their accompanying text. Such
examples, as distinct from all others, which are drawn mainly from my reading and study of
modern Spanish and Latin American literature, are acknowledged both in the text and in the
supplementary exercises, by the scholars name (rather than that of his / her source, where
this is different), the year of publication, where relevant, and the page number.
.
Monash University December 1983
[Published by S.G.E.L., Madrid in 1985.]
[Re-issued as an e-book: January 2007]
email: [email protected]
website: www.briansteel.net
----------------------------------------------------

For details of a much briefer and less analytic survey of Colloquial English for Students of
English as a Second Language, see: www.briansteel.net/writings/collenglishsample.pdf

CONTENTS
Preface
List of Symbols and Abbreviations
Introduction

Chapter 1 Ritual Sentences

(plus Supplementary examples for study and translation)

Chapter 2 Emotional Comment Sentence Patterns

(plus Supplementary examples for study and translation)

Chapter 3 Colloquial Adjuncts

(plus Supplementary examples for study and translation)

Chapter 4 Structural Variation: The Verb

(plus Supplementary examples for study and translation)

Chapter 5 Other Structural Variations

(plus Supplementary examples for study and translation)

Chapter 6 Supplementary Examples for Study and Translation

Bibliography
Part 1. Literary sources of examples
Part 2. Reference and research sources

Index

SAMPLE from A Textbook of Colloquial Spanish

Copyright 2007 Brian Steel
To give a clear picture of the type of analysis, explanation and detail covered in
this e-book, the whole of Chapter 2 is offered here for readers individual study
except for 220 of the 240 Supplementary Examples for further study and practice
contained in 3 Exercises strategically placed in the text. The 1,500 examples in these
Supplementary Exercises are an important revision feature of Chapters 1-6. In the
analysis of this chapter, a further 260 explanatory examples are offered (see below),
many accompanied by suggested translations into English. In the text of Chapters 1-5, a
total of 1,800 of these illustrative examples are given.
A short extract from Chapter 4 is also included below, as well as a Sample page
from the Index.
The e-book is approximately 250 pages in length, A4 or Letter size. Two-sided
printing will halve the bulk of the book, which can be commercially bound at very low
cost. (The original printed version was 383 pages long.)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2
Emotional Comment Sentence Patterns
2.0
Colloquial Spanish possesses a number of non-standard sentence patterns which may
be used for the spontaneous and concise expression of the following types of emotional
reactions and comments: surprise, admiration, pleasure, scorn, sarcasm, regret, indignation,
impatience, strong affirmation or denial, rebuke, resignation, wishes and hopes. One of the
identifying characteristics of such patterns is a syntactical or semantic component which,
unlike the adjuncts to be described in Chapter 3, is an integral part of the sentence. A further
relevant feature of sentences made up from these patterns is that, although they are not
usually analysable in terms of standard syntax (i.e. into main clause and subordinate clause,
etc.) or in terms of standard (i.e. literal) semantics, they are clearly equivalent in meaning to
longer or more literal standard sentences, for which they may be considered colloquial
variants or replacements.
Because of their structure of because they have a non-literal meaning (see, for
example, sections 2.12-2.15), these emotional comment patterns, like all ritual elements of
colloquial Spanish, offer particular comprehension and translation difficulties for non-native
students of the language, who are accustomed to the familiar structures of standard sentences
and to the more or less literal interpretation of sentence components. However, since these
sentences are constructed from productive sentence patterns, a familiarity with their characteristic form and functions is desirable and should be achieved more quickly, more accurately
and more permanently by systematic study than by recourse to the dictionary alone.
Given the wide range of functions covered and also the peculiar syntactical or semantic
characteristics of these emotional comment sentence patterns, they have been grouped partly
according to form and partly according to content under the following headings:
4

2.1 2.4
Qu! / Cunto!/ Cmo! exclamations and equivalents
2.5 2.8
Patterns with other initial exclamatory components
2.9
Focussing patterns
(Supplementary Examples: Exercise 1)
2.10 2.11 Affirmative and negative response patterns
2.12 2.15 Irony
(Supplementary Examples: Exercise 2)
2.16
Regret and surprise
2.17 2.21 Indignation
2.22 2.23 Rejection, rebuke and protest
2.24
Resignation
2.25 2.26 Wishes and regret
(Supplementary Examples: Exercise 3)

Qu! / Cunto! / Cmo! Exclamations and Equivalents

2.1
The basic patterns for general emotional exclamations covering a wide range of
feelings are as follows:
2.1.1 For the exclamatory equivalent of muy + adjective or adverb.
(English: What a ...!; How ...!):
Qu mujer!
Qu mujer ms / tan guapa!
Qu bonito!
Qu bonito es ese vestido!
Qu bien!
Qu tonto eres!
Qu bien trabajas!
Cmo vuela el tiempo!
In addition to the common patterns listed above, there exists a verbless pattern
consisting of qu + noun or noun phrase followed by either a demonstrative or a possessive
component. To translate this pattern into English, it will usually be necessary to use an
exclamatory sentence which includes a verb:
-Qu linda aquella flor! (M. Cecchini, 130)
Isnt that a pretty flower! / How pretty that flower is! / What a pretty flower that is!
-Y qu inters puede tener en ocultarlo si no ha pasado nada malo?
-Ah! Y qu don Lotario ste. Y yo qu s. (FGP, 1981: 24)
What a one you are, Lotario! How should I know?
-Qu desgracia la que me ha cado! (GC, 209) What a terrible blow Ive received!
-Qu amigos los tuyos, to Pepablo! (Keniston, 80) You've got some fine friends, Pepablo!

2.1.2 For the exclamatory equivalent of mucho + noun or verb or of muchos:

Cunta gente hay aqu!
Qu miedo me da!
Cuntos vinieron!
Cunto tiempo sin verte!
Cunto sabe (este chico)!
Cunto trabajan!
2.2 The following minor variations occur.
Note: For other variations in the intensifying elements muy, tan and mucho, see 5.5 - 5.16.
2.2.1 Qu omitted: -Cosa ms dulce! (Keniston, 145)
2.2.2 Additional que:
-Qu palidez que tiene! (RA, 1968 a: 270)
-Qu bien que se est aqu! (Seco, 284: habla popular)
Note
This variant is possibly more frequent in American Spanish. A similar pattern also
occurs with ellipsis of Qu and is labelled by M. Seco (1967, p. 284) as an americanismo:
-Flojita que te ests volviendo. (Seco, 284)
-Imbcil que soy. (JG, 1963: 66)
2.2.3 Qu replaced:
a)
by Vaya (un):
-Vaya coche (que tiene)!
-Vaya (una) pregunta!
-Luis? Vaya un nombre ms raro. (MD, 1969: 101)
b)
by Cmo ... de in the pattern Cmo + verb + de + adjective!:
-Cmo se puso de contento cuando lo vio! (overheard in Madrid)
Note For the use of bonito, lindo, menudo, and valiente as replacements for Qu, see 2.15.
2.2.4 Very occasionally ms or tan may be omitted:
Vea usted, don Diego, qu escritura endiablada! (FA, 1969: 613)
Qu das incomparables! (CL, 140)
Even more occasionally, the pattern may be Qu + adjective + noun!:
Qu linda carta me mandaste ... (MP, 103)
-Qu buen amigo! (SG, 124)
2.2.5 Alternative pattern: Qu + noun + de + noun!:
-Qu lstima de hombre! (Keniston, 43) That poor man!
-Qu asco de casa! What a disgusting house!
2.2.6 The patterns (y / que) bien (+ adjective) + que + verb seem to have a similar meaning
to exclamations with Qu bien + verb! or Cunto + verb! In translation, an emphatic very
(well, etc.) should suffice:
Y tena detalles, que bien que me fij ... (MD, 1967: 120)
luego a los tres meses, cuando Elvira muri, bien que la [sic] pesara.
(MD, 1967: 43)
Pues llovi y bien que llovi, y subi el ro ... (JLP, 98)
-Pues bien entretenida que la dej con su caja de cintas. (AG, 1970: 232)

Note The possible interpretation of bien que in the above pattern as an equivalent of
aunque should be avoided.
2.2.7 The exclamation pattern Este / Estos + noun may also be used for criticism or
admiration:
-Estos nios! [Qu malos! / Qu ricos! / Qu nios!]
2.3

Major variant patterns

2.3.1 Equivalent to qu! = muy patterns is the occasional use of lo + adjective or adverb
followed by que + verb:
-Lo fuertes que eran! (E. Alarcos Llorach, 178) How strong they were!
-Lo indignado que se pone! (RSF, 1965: 191)
-Lo bien que me viene! (E. Alarcos Llorach, 190) How well that suits me!
-Y lo cariosos que son los gatos. Usted se ha fijado en lo cariosos que son?
(CJC, 1963: 34-35)
2.3.2 Equivalent to the cunto! and qu! patterns which imply mucho or muy + adjective
is the exclamatory pattern: definite article + noun + relative clause:
-El miedo que est pasando! (Seco, 142) How frightened he is!
-El disgusto que se va a llevar cuando lo sepa.
How upset (s)he is going to be when (s)he finds out!
-El plomo que aquel hombre llevaba en el cuerpo! (Keniston, 130)
What a lot of bullets that man had in his body! / The lead that man had in him!
Los billetes que vendieron!
What a lot of tickets they sold! / The tickets they sold!
If understandable in the context, the noun may be omitted:
-Me dieron dos mil pesetas. La (borrachera) que cog! ... I got really drunk!
Note
The variants la de + noun + relative clause and qu de + noun! involve the ellipsis of
a noun like cantidad. Compare with English What a lot of...! and The (number of) ...!
-La de veces que me ha pedido diez duros para comer! (FDP, 1971: 246)
The (number of) times hes asked me for fifty pesetas to buy food!
-La de trabajos que he tenido que hacer para pagarte el seminario! (AG, 1973: 31)
The jobs Ive had to do to pay for you to go to the Seminary!
-Qu de cosas te dira! (Moliner, II: 900)
2.3.3 Alternative to the basic patterns Cmo + verb! and Cunto + verb! is the
exclamatory pattern Lo que + verb!
-Lo que vale la influencia poltica! (Ramsey, 124) Political influence is so useful!
-Un da hasta me peg. Lo que llor! (Keniston, 88)
One day he even hit me. How I cried!
-Chiquillo, lo que nos vamos a rer! (Seco, 217)
Hey, we're going to have a really good laugh!
-Tus hermanas, qu traviesas eran! ... Seor, Seor, lo que ha cambiado tu casa.
-Lo que han cambiado los tiempos! (CL, 107)
2.4
The three patterns described in 2.3, although found alone, are more frequently used in
reported exclamatory comments, especially as object clauses of verbs of perception and

saying, or after verbs governing a prepositional object. (See also 5.15 and 5.16.)
-Ya ves lo formalitos y obedientes que han estado todo el da.
You can see how well behaved and obedient theyve been all day.
-Abra los ojos y mire bien lo fea y vieja que soy. (Keniston, 92)
Open your eyes and just see how ugly and old I am.
-Ya lo deca yo, en cuanto vi lo limpios que tena los vidrios de las ventanas: usted es
un caballero. (EW, 140)
-Al verte me acord de lo compenetrados que estuvimos entonces. (ABV, 1964: 57)
When I saw you, I remembered how close we were then.
-Si te dieras cuenta de lo equivocado que ests. (JMG, 1972: II, 47)
-Ya me han contado lo bien que lo pasasteis. (Moliner, II: 278)
-Se lamenta de lo mal que andan las cosas en nuestro pas. (Keniston, 88)
-Figrate lo lejos que vivimos. (Seco, 217)
-Lo dices como si te molestara lo viento en popa que van. (JAZ, 1973: 466)
You say it as though you were annoyed because theyre doing so well.
-No te puedes imaginar la bronca que ha habido en casa! (LO, 1968: 86)
Youve no idea what a row theres been at home!
-No sabes lo que me satisface poderte dar esa alegra. (JAZ, 1972: 459)

Patterns with Other Initial Exclamatory Components

2.5
The emotional use of certain exclamatory words (most of them described in Chapter
1) as integral parts of colloquial sentence patterns rather than as separate sentences or
parenthetical additions produces a number of characteristic syntactical and semantic patterns
for which the ritual content of the exclamatory element rather than a literal interpretation
provides the clue to an adequate translation into English. Three types of these exclamatory
patterns are described below in sections 2.6-2.8.
Note: See also 2.10.2.
2.6
A number of exclamatory words listed in Chapter 1 may combine with con and nouns,
noun phrases or infinitives to form exclamatory sentences.
2.6.1
Vaya con ... !
Caramba con ...!
Caray con ... !
Cuidado con ...!
(Y) Dale con ...!
All of these (and indeed other expletives, like some of those listed in 1.28) may be
followed by a noun or noun phrase to indicate degrees of annoyance, surprise (usually
unpleasant) or sarcasm caused by the reference conveyed by the mentioned noun. In English,
translation will vary according to context, but general equivalents are:
What a ... !
Some ... !
How ... !
Isnt (s)he ... !
Damn the ... !
Just look at the ...!
Get a load of ... !

Si el da estaba bueno, salan a dar un paseo por las calles. Las vecinas le saludaban:
-Vaya con el seor Santiago, que no quiere morirse...!
... Just look at Santiago, would you! He simply refuses to die. (IA, 232)
Aunque puedan parecerte lobos, la mayora de esas gentes son corderos.
-Vaya con los corderos! -rezong. (MS, 1968: 21)
Some sheep! he muttered.
-Vaya con el indio suertudo! Ahora iba a ver. (CAL, 71)
That damn Indian! Hed show him!
-Result ser el asesino de la chica ... y Carlos lo ha matado.
-Caray con el mocito. (ABV, 1966: 129) Well, would you believe it!
-Cuidado con las veces que se lo he dicho! (Beinhauer, 235)
How many times Ive told him! / The times Ive told him!
With (Y) Dale con, which is mainly used to express exasperation caused by something
just mentioned, the effect is similar to English There he goes l you go, etc., again (with ... )!
or Damn the ... !
-...Del mismo modo prefiero no comprender tus rollos ms que a medas.
-Y dale con el rollo! (JM, 1970 a: 68)
There you go again, calling my speeches boring!
-A tu edad puede afectarte cualquier cosa ...
-Y dale con la edad! (JLMV, 1981: 36)
2.6.2 Cuidado con and Ojo con (and the diminutive forms Cuidadito and Ojito) may be
used to form two different patterns with imperative force. When followed by a noun or noun
phrase, they have a positive imperative meaning (Careful with ... !); when followed by an
infinitive, they indicate a negative imperative (Mind you dont ...!)
-Nino! Cuidado con las tijeras!
- ... Ojo con ese perro, porque puede hacernos ms dao que todos los hombres juntos.
(HQ, 75)
-Estos cien pesos son para que no te olvides de m. Y cuidadito con gastrtelos con
otra mujer, eh? (LS, 1970: 31)
2.7
Certain (mainly verbal) exclamations may be used in initial position to add emotional
intensity to a sentence of which they form an integral syntactical part.
2.7.1 Exclamatory Mira, Mire usted, Anda and Cuidado may be grafted on to a standard
sentence type or to an exclamatory pattern by the addition of the link que, for various
purposes of emotional emphasis (e.g. to express surprise, indignation, lament, entreaty or a
threat). In English these sorts of emphasis are more normally rendered by means of voice
stress, exclamatory sentences, the use of the emphatic word really, or even by standard
sentences beginning with Remember or Believe me, etc. With the less frequent Cuidado que
pattern, the equivalence with Qu! and other exclamation types is particularly noticeable.
Mira que, tambin, os metis en unos los. (DS, 1961: 169)
You really DO get yourselves into some fine messes, don't you?
-No me juzgues mal, Blanco. Esperemos un tiempo. Mire que lo que usted piense de
m me importa mucho. (EB, 288)
Believe me, what you think of me really matters to me.
-Mira que se lo he dicho veces.

The times Ive told him / her / them!

-Mire que si me mato [en el avin], usted sale perdiendo. (MVL, 1973: 127)
-Mira que andar ahorrando para esto.
Fancy saving up all this time just for this!
-Anda que si se entera tu padre ...
If your father finds out, just look out!
-Cuidado que sois gansos. (RSF, 1965: 44)
You really are funny! / What clowns you are!
-... pero no daba una perra a nadie, y eso que tena millones ...
-Cuidado que era ronosa -observ Miguel. (AML, 1965: 790)
But she wouldnt give a cent to anyone, and yet she was loaded. She wasnt half
mean / tight / stingy! remarked Miguel.
-Qu to ms raro! Cuidado que hace cosas difciles con la cara. (RSF, 1965: 16)
The reinforcement of both of these patterns by a preceding Y (see 3.3) most
commonly seems to express a regret provoked by sornething in the context and to imply a
need for an intensifier in the English version: And (yet) ...so ; But ... so).
-Y mira que me levant temprano!
And (yet) I got up so early!
Se encontraban en la situacin del matrimonio que no tiene ya nada que decirse ... Y
ella pensaba: Y cuidado que le quiero y me ha hecho y soy feliz con l.
(JAZ, 1973: 334)
... And yet I love him so much and he has made me so happy.
-A ver quin puede poner junto al mo un nombre de hombre. Y cuidado que este
pueblo vive de calumniar. (AG, 1970: 235)
I defy anyone to name a man Im supposed to have been with, even though this town
thrives so much on gossip.
Notes:
1.
The idiomatic Mira que es / eres! usually refers to some omitted quality made
obvious by the context and tone of voice. The translation will normally be something like:
You are naughty / difficult / wicked, etc.!
2.
Although not deriving from any exclamation, the contrastive connector y eso que
described in 5.26.3 also indicates regret.
2.7.2 Other exclamations which can occur as integral parts of colloquial sentence patterns
are Hay que ver!, No vea(s)!, No vean! (see 1.25.1) and No quiera(s) saber! Their use
seems to be restricted to the further intensification of sentences of an exclamatory nature like
those listed in sections 2.1 - 2.3. In translation, really or It's incredible... may be useful. (All
examples collected come from Spain.)
-Y tambin lo has pasado bien, verdad? Hay que ver cmo te reas!
(JMG, 1966: 79) ...You were really laughing your head off!
-Hay que ver las enemistades que te has ganado por eso.
Its incredible how many enemies youve made because of that.
-Hay que ver qu gente tan amable, y qu cocina tan limpia. (MM, 1967: 344)
You have to admit they're really nice people, and the kitchens so clean!
-No veas en la de sitios que ha estado ya, con veinticinco aos que tiene ...
(CMG, 1974: 91)
Youve no idea the number of places hes been to already although hes only twenty

10

five.
-Y el Paulino ... nos mir uno por uno con unos ojos que echaban chispas, oiga, no
vean qu ojos, y dijo (MD, 1978: 124)
... que no quieras saber el coraje que me dio ... (MD, 1967: 183)
... and, gosh!, you made me SO angry!
Note
Sometimes the exclamation Hay que fastidiarse! (1.26) may be used in a similar way:
-Hay que fastidiarse, el tiempo que hace!
2.8
The emotional patterns consisting of Ay! (or an adjective) + de + -pronoun (or noun
phrase) express a lament or a threat. Although often translated as Alas!, Woe is me! and Woe
betide them!, etc., a more convincing translation into contemporary English is usually
obtained by using more current exclamations of sorrow, regret or intimidation, like Oh dear!,
The poor ...!, My God!, God help ..., Heaven help ...!
-Ay de m! Qu voy a hacer? Oh dear, oh dear! What am I going to do?
-Ay de aquellos que lo hayan echado en olvido! (N. D. Arutiunova, 1966: 7)
God help those who have forgotten it!
-Pobres de nosotros, Generosa, pobres de nosotros! Qu hemos hecho para este
castigo? (ABV, 1963: 39)
-Miserable de m, he aspirado a lo que me era tan superior!
(N. D. Arutiunova, 1966: 7)
How stupid of me! I aspired to something quite beyond my reach.
-Desgraciado de ti si lo olvidas! (Moliner, I: 58) Youll be for it if you forget it!
Note
The more archaic Guay de ...! may sometimes be met instead of Ay de ...! (Heaven
help ...!):
las leyes mexicanas al respecto son muy estrictas; guay del que pretenda esconder
una figurilla azteca ... en su bolso. (CF, 1980: 15)

Focussing Patterns
2.9
A special sort of sentence patterns permits the spontaneous expression, at the
beginning of the sentence, of a dominant element (usually, but not necessarily, the sentence
element with principal stress).
These patterns consist of rearrangements or dislocations of the subject-verb-object
sentence order. Most usually, these sentences occur as emotional reactions or have a high
emotional content. In English they may often be translated adequately by voice stress.
Object (or Complement) Precedes Verb
This type of word order arrangement allows the spontaneous expression at the
beginning of the sentence of the direct object (or complement). This is particularly frequent
with pronoun objects like eso, nada, algo, mucho, poco, tanto, and other direct objects or
complements denoting quality, quantity or degree.
2.9.1

-Eso dijo. Thats what he said.

-Algo habr. There must be something!
-Nada conseguirs con esa actitud.
You won't achieve anything with that attitude.

11

-Mala impresin debimos producir. (G. T. Fish, 1959: 587)

We must have created a very bad impression.
Veneno les dara yo. (Anna G. Hatcher, 1956 b: 34) Id give them poison!
-Muy tranquilo ests t. Youre very calm!
-Mucha prisa traes t hoy. You're in a great hurry today!
-Hasta tres cuerdas de ropa llenaba yo. (LO, 1968: 28) I used to fill as many as three
lines with washing.
-Demasiado metido dentro de s le encontr yo la noche que vino por aqu.
(JAZ, 1973: 327)
I found him far too introverted the night he came here.
Note
Care should be taken to distinguish between this type of word order (i.e. O-V or C-V)
and the similar-looking but much more general arrangement of Object ,+ additional
(resumptive) object pronoun + Verb (+ Subject) (i.e. O-o-V (S), which is common in
Spanish and where the stress falls on the last item in the sentence:
-La casa la compr mi padre.
My father bought the house. / The house was bought by my father.
-Eso lo soaste. You dreamt / dreamed that.
-La guerra! La guerra no la gana nadie!
Ya sabemos que ganaste la guerra. (CG, Arg., 1971: 142)
-Entonces ... le digo yo: Caramba, yo eso tengo que pensarlo ... (A. Rosenblat, 320)
More colloquial is the arrangement where an Object precedes an explicit or implicit
imperative and a resumptive object pronoun referring to the same Object follows: O-V-o.
-Los versos, djalos -dijo Silda. (Keniston, 41)
-El olvido en que nos tuvo, mi hijo, cbraselo caro. (JR, 1970: 7)
This pattern is also found with verbs denoting obligation like haber que and deber:
-T eres muy joven todava. Ya irs aprendiendo que el vino hay que aguarlo.
(LO, 1981: 161)
Subject Precedes Verb in a Question
Here again standard word order is dislocated by the expression of what is uppermost
in the speaker's mind. Where the Subject is a subject pronoun, the tone is usually brusque:
-T qu sabes? (Keniston, 41)
-Y eso qu tiene de malo? (GCI, 1969: 109)
-Las chicas del barrio, vuestras amigas, se renen tambin all con vosotros?
(JM, 1970 a: 85)
-Y esa caja qu es? (MM, 1967: 354)
-Cllate y dime una cosa. Vosotros cundo os vais a casar? (MM, 1967: 343)
Note
The expression of the subject pronoun either before or after the imperative is yet
another example of emotional focussing and usually gives the imperative a more peremptory
tone:
-T cllate.
-Cllate t.
Shut UP! / Just shut up!

2.9.2

2.9.3 A further form of dislocation for emphasis is where the Subject or Object (less
frequently the Complement) of a subordinate verb precedes the main verb, particularly when
the latter is an introductory subjective verb or opinion, judgement, etc. (See 4.14 - 4.19.)

12

-Yo es posible que no vuelva nunca. (L. C. Harmer and F. J. Norton, 507)
I may never return.
-El reloj parece que se ha parado. It looks as though the clock has stopped.
-No me divierten las historias.
-sta, estoy segura que te gustar. (IG, 233)
Im sure youll like this one.
-T mismo has reconocido que algunos compaeros estaban cansados de la lucha.
-Bueno, cansados yo creo que estamos todos -respondi Genaro. (JLCP, 185)
-Nicasio hace mucho tiempo que dej aquella oficinilla de mala muerte. (RRB, 45)
Note For (Y) Bien que + verb, see 2.6.

Supplementary Examples for Study and Translation

Exercise 1. Sections 2.0 - 2.9
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

-Qu ser tan odioso es usted! (LJH, 491)

-Ver qu tarde tan buena vamos a pasar. (RRB, 60)
-Pero, qu cabeza la ma! No te he preguntado por tu marido... Est?
-S, en su despacho. (ABV, 1967: 28)
-Qu nios stos! Voy a tener que dar muchas quejas a sus paps ahora que
regresemos. (FS, 293)
-Qu ocurrencia esa de Gabriela de pensar que estbamos predestinados el uno para
el otro por las iniciales de nuestros nombres! (GC, 178)
-Pobre hermano! Si alguien le hubiera dicho que iban a olvidarlo tan pronto!... Si te
ve desde el cielo, qu disgusto el suyo! (JB, 325-326)
Qu lucidez, qu picarda, qu sagacidad y agudeza las de don Santos!
(RC, 1974: 221)
-Cuntos aos sin verle, don Basilio!, qu tal est usted? (CJC, 1971: 30)
-T has estudiado, trabajas, cuanto has ganado ha sido para nosotros... Pero yo...,
criatura ms intil! (JB, 444)
-Ay qu gusto que me da verlos! (FGP, 1971a: 52)
-Qu nervioso que te pons. (JC, 1968 a: 423)
-Vaya golpe que le atizaron, seor cura.
-S, capitn -le respond, frotndome la mejilla. (FB, 150)
-Djame tranquilo de una vez! Pues vaya una maana! (LO, 1981: 157)
-... pero vas a ver qu cosa linda el paisaje que de all se domina ... (AY, 245)
-No s cmo puedes vivir aqu. Qu asco de calles! (MAU, 175)
-Eso me ocurre a m por traerme un zopenco a casa.
-Pues otras veces bien que te lo pasas. (RAY, 11)
Qu iban a saber! Cmo saban que en las montaas no iba a llover? Pues llovi y
bien que llovi, y subi el ro, y hubo crecida como nunca. (JLP, 98)
-Si a mi hermana le ocurre algo, no se lo podr perdonar nunca a David. Nunca. Y
bien que lo he querido siempre... (AS, 1967a: 262)
-Los billetes que vendieron! (E. Lorenzo, 174)
-Las cosas que se podran producir en este pas si hubiera personas que conocieran el
modo de hacerlo...! (CMA, 122)

13

[+ 70 other examples in this Exercise and 150 in the other 2 SupplementaryExercises in

the rest of the chapter]
.

Affirmative Response Patterns

2.10 In addition to the ritual affirmative responses described in 1.8 - 1.10, there is a small
number of ritual sentence formulae indicating emphatic agreement and involving the
repetition of part of the sentence which elicits this agreement.
2.10.1
Claro que
Y tanto que
Y tan (followed by a repeated adjective or adverb)
-Crees que me debo quitar el impermeable? Vengo un poco mojado.
-Claro que te lo debes quitar. (MM, 1964: 16)
-Bueno, ya veremos.
-Y tanto que lo veremos! (JLR, 1960: 17)
-Es posible?
-Y tan posible. Of course it is!
-Segurito que va a la catstrofe.
-Y tan seguro. (JAZ, 1973: 118)
2.10.2
Que si
Vaya (que) si
Anda (que) si
-Es valiente ...
-Que si lo es? No lo sabe usted bien. (Beinhauer, 202)
Is he! Not half he isnt! / Is he! Of course he is!
-Yo tena trece aos ..., pero ya has odo eso.
-Vaya si lo he odo. (JC, 1968b: 221) Ill say I have! / Not half I havent!
-Es admirable.
-Anda que si es admirable.
Notes
1.
Si may occasionally be followed by the future or conditional of other verbs besides
saber. (See 1.10: Si lo sabr yo! Si lo sabra l!):
-La Ana Portela. Te acuerdas? Hablamos una vez de ella.
-Si la conocera Lucho. Temblaba. (EB, 336)
Did Lucho know her! He was shivering.
2.
The patterns consisting of an interrogative word and a form of the verbs ir a or haber
de are dealt with in 2.11.2 and in 2.22. When used with a negative, they may also indicate a
vehemently emphatic affirmative response:
-Lo tienes?
-Cmo no voy a tenerlo!
Of course Ive got it! / Of course I have!

14

Negative Response Patterns

2.11

The following negative response formulae and patterns should also be noted.

Qu ... ni (qu) ... !

In this vehement (and often aggressive) negative response formula, the first of the
blank spaces is filled by a repetition of a word from a preceding sentence (i.e. the word or
idea that is being rejected) and the second blank is filled either by a further repetition of the
same word, by a patently absurd term (e.g. nio muerto, ocho cuartos, pamplinas, regla de
tres), a euphemism (e.g. peinetas), or an expletive or taboo term such as those listed in 1.28.
2.11.1

Possible English translations of this formula include:

..., my foot! / , be damned! / , my eye!
To hell with...! / Like hell!
And for the stronger forms: ..., my arse! / my ass! / Balls! [vulgar]
-Va contra el reglamento.
-Qu reglamento ni reglamento! (CM, 120) To hell with the rules!
-Al casino! Al casino!
-Qu casino ni qu casino! (Beinhauer, 214)
-Es que no quiero molestarlo.
-Qu molestarlo ni qu molestarlo! (GGM, 1968: 51)
-Reprtate, Ginesa! ... Demuestra a todos que eres una seora!
-Qu seora ni qu nio muerto! ruga la Ginesa.
-... Para qu le sirve la inteligencia?
-Qu inteligencia ni qu demontre! Lo cierto y usted no lo creer es que soy un
desgraciado. (JRR, 10)
-Todos sois muy buenos...
-Qu bueno ni qu ... peinetas! (ABV, 1963: 46) Good? My foot!
-Aqu lo que hacen falta son tcnicos.
-Qu tcnicos ni qu puetas! (JLCP, 250)
What we need here are technicians.
Technicians? Balls!
-Es usted un chiquillo.
-Qu chiquillo ni qu leches! Es que es la primera vez que ocurre esto.
(FGP, 1973: 169)
Youre reacting just like a kid!
My arse! Its just the first time this has happened.
Note
The rejecting formulae: No hay ... que valga and Venga ya de + noun
(Cut out the ...! / Rubbish!):
-Te cont lo del telegrama? Toda una historia ...

15

-Y al final resulta que no haba telegrama que valga. (FA, 1969: 620)
-No quiero molestaros. -Venga ya de bobadas. (RSF, 1965: 94)
2.11.2 The very productive patterns consisting of an interrogative word followed by a form
of the verb ir a or haber de are dealt with in detail in 2.22, but since they are often equivalent
to a strong negative response, or a contradiction, they may briefly be considered here also.
(See also 2.14 Note: No he de + infinitive / No voy a + infinitive.)
-Lo tiene l?
-Qu va a tener(lo)!
Has he got it?
Of course not! / Of course he hasnt (got it)!
-Ahora lo sabe.
-Qu ha de saber, mujer!
-Si lo estoy diciendo. (SE, 62-63)
2.11.3 Two other related formulae are:
De + rejected word(s) + nada
Nada de + rejected word(s)
Note See also 4.7.2.
-Chica, pareces tonta.
-De tonta, nada, monada. (FU, 1966: 19) Not a bit of it, darling!
-Entonces, bebe.
-De beber, nada. Que tengo que torear, hombre, te digo! (AML, 1965: 381)
-Dos cafetitos, entonces.
-Nada de cafetitos, amigo -salt Toms-. Pnganos dos vasos de agua pero con
casalla. (JLCP, 130)

2.11.4 There remains a special formula by which a hesitant negative response may be
conveyed. This formula consists of Tanto como followed by a repetition of the part of the
preceding sentence that is to be mildly or hesitantly rejected, or by the pronoun eso,
representing that part. The response sentence may end in this vague way or it may be
completed by a negative form like no or by a negative and a verb (particularly decir).
English translations are: Well, not exactly ... Well, I didnt exactly ... Well, I wouldnt say that
exactly.
-T no has cambiado nada.
-Hombre! Tanto como nada ...
-Pero no mucho.
-T s que ests idntico ... (AL, 1966: 208)
-No tiene por qu preocuparse. Es usted un hombre feliz.
-Tanto como eso ...!
-Ah! No es usted un hombre feliz ...? (JLR, 1960: 10)
-Y qu me va a hacer? Va a matarme?
-Tanto como matarla, yo no dira! (JFS, 1971: 287)
Note See also 3.19.1.

16

Irony
2.12 Just as the literal analysis of the components of previously described ready-made
sentences and emotional comment sentence patterns may fail to give the real meaning, so a
literal semantic analysis of certain standard sentence types used with ironic intent will give
the opposite meaning to that intended by the speaker and understood by native speakers.
The implicitly accepted convention on the part of both speaker and listener in the
sentences that follow in sections 2.13 - 2.15 (usually spontaneous emotional expressions of
surprise and indignation) is that what is intended is in some way the reverse of what is
literally expressed. In other words, a positive sentence is to be interpreted as a negative one,
and vice-versa; also, expressions denoting qualities and quantity are to be interpreted as their
opposite (e.g. GOOD = BAD; SMALL = BIG, and so on). A few ready-made ironic
sentences have already been listed in Chapter 1 because through frequent repetition they have
become ritualised. Nevertheless, some of them are repeated here as further illustrations of the
simple principles involved. In many cases an English ironic pattern or term may be used to
translate the Spanish one.
2.13
2.13.1

Positive implies negative

(Pues) S que
-Pues s que nos hemos lucido!
Weve really excelled ourselves this time! [=Weve really made a mess of things!]
- ... quiero hacerte un regalo.
-No seas tonto. Pues s que ests t para regalos! (CJC, 1963: 88)
... Youre in a fine position to give presents!

Frequently this construction combines with the ironic use of bueno / bien (= malo / mal):
-S que estamos buenos! (Moliner, II: 1159) Were in a fine mess!
-Pues s que lo tenis bien educado al nio -se quej la abuela. (JAZ, 1973: 359)
Youve really brought the child up well, havent you?
2.13.2 In other ironic patterns an exclamatory positive sentence must be interpreted as
indicating a negative meaning.
-Ahora me va a ensear a m cmo la tengo que educar. (RSF, 1965: 9)
Hes not going to teach me how I should bring her up!
-Hbleme usted de placeres intelectuales! (Spaulding, 63)
-Me va a decir usted -tartamude el enfermo- lo que es Amrica, cuando la he
recorrido desde el estrecho de Bering hasta la Patagonia! (PB, 1954: 153)
-Para canciones estoy yo! (Beinhauer, 229) Im not in the mood for songs!
2.14

Negative implies positive

17

With this reverse procedure, or convention, the speaker is able to convey an emphatic
positive comment of surprise, indignation, annoyance, etc., by using a negative term, usually
no. At times the no is accompanied by words and expressions like poco or ni nada (in popular
Spanish: ni na), which are also to be interpreted as their opposites (i.e. mucho, etc.).
Compare this with the English ironic patterns Why, if it isnt your mother!, Why if he isnt
smoking!, etc.
-Pues no estaban mirando por el ojo de la llave! Brujas, sayonas!
They were actually peeping through the keyhole! (FGL, 1962: 57)
-Madre ma! Pues no est fumando! Tira eso enseguida, cochino! (ABV, 1963: 67)
-Pues no has creco [=crecido] ni na. (Beinhauer, 232)
Havent you grown a lot! / My, how youve grown!
In popular Spanish, the following exclamatory reinforcements are also used:
anda que; anda y que; anda y que tampoco [see 1.22.1].
-Pues anda que no eres pesado. You arent half boring!
-Anda y que no da sorpresas la vida. (LO, 1968: 67)
The ironic exclamation Ah es / era nada! is equivalent to Just imagine!, Wow!, Isnt
that something!, Thats a tall order!, etc.
-Quiero dos artculos semanales.
-Ah es nada! Y de qu puedo yo hablar en un peridico? (MAU, 160)
El salto cualitativo es considerable y el cambio de imagen tremebundo. Ah es nada,
pasar del [tabaco] negro ... al cigarro puro habano ms caro del mundo.
(Cambio 16, 6-9-82: 77)
Its quite something, changing from black tobacco to the most expensive Havana
cigar in the world.
Note
The use of no voy a, no he de, etc., in sentences of this sort is related to the emphatic
patterns consisting of an interrogative word and a form of ir a or haber de which are
described in 2.22. (See also 2.10.2 Note 2 and 2.11.2.)
-No te preocupes ... No es nada.
-No me voy a preocupar! Y si yo no me voy a preocupar, te preocupas t?
(DS, 1961: 121) Not worry? But if I dont, I suppose you will!
-Pero no te asombres tanto ...
-No he de asombrarme! Cmo, digo yo, has podido t, un tmido, llegar a tanto con
esa rapidez! (EB, 464)
-Te acuerdas ... de ese cantar?
-No he de acordarme. Ese es el pasodoble que compuso Manolito Arrieta ...
(FGP, 1969: 101) Of course I remember! ...
A similar ironic effect may be conveyed in emotional sentences which include
adjectives of quality or size (e.g. bonito, bueno, listo, lindo, menudo, valiente),
the adverb bien,
the intensifier and pronoun poco,
and the pronoun cualquiera (see also 1.20).
Note that adjectives used in this way frequently precede the noun they qualify or the
verb of which they are the complement; adverbs used ironically also often occur in initial
position.
In translation, the same effect may be obtained by the ironic use of words like fine,
great, very, patterns like He isn't half ...! or by the term opposite in literal meaning to the one
2.15

18

expressed in Spanish.
-Estara bueno! The nerve!
-Buena la hemos hecho! A fine mess weve made!
-Buena se va a poner madame Plussot cuando sepa que se han marchado sin pagar.
(PB, 1954: 56) What a state Madame Plussot will be in when she finds out theyve
left without paying the bill.
-Ests listo si piensas eso. Youre stupid if you think that.
-Qu rico! What a nerve!
-Menuda ganga! What a bargain!
[Depending on context and tone, this may indicate either praise or criticism.]
-Menudo chaparrn nos viene encima. (Keniston, 249)
-Menuda suerte tuvieron stos!
-S, no fue poca. (CJC, 1961: 165)
-Bonita pareja de amargados, Martn y t! (JM, 1970a: 68)
-Lindo lo hiciste vos!, eh? (CG, Arg., 1971: 199)
- ..se ha casado!
-Valiente carcamal se lleva la que haya cargado con l! (MU, 1956: 87)
Whoevers picked him up has got herself a fine specimen!
-Poco orgulloso estaba yo de que fuera mi madre! (Keniston, 166)
I wasnt half proud she was my mother!
-Cualquiera se deja sacar los ojos! (RSF, 1969: 159)
Notes:
1.
For accurate translation of the constantly used menudo, tone and context are vital.
However, the meaning is usually negative in some way.
-Pero, fjese, que si yo no pudiera ir, menuda! [suerte sera]. (JLMV, 1971: 155)
...Wouldn't that be really tough luck! [See also Beinhauer, 231]
2.
The exclamation Ya est bien! (Thats enough! / Stop it!) and the sentence formula
Ya est bien de + infinitive or noun phrase (Thats enough + -ing! / Stop + -ing!) are further
examples of ironic colloquial structures:
-Eh, t! Ya est bien de dormir. Lo oyes? Levntate ya! (AS, 1967a: 169)
-Y ya est bien de escndalos pblicos, me oye usted? (LO, 1981: 222)
-Ya est bien; vmonos de aqu. (JFS, 1982: 124)

---------------------------------------------Exercise 2. Sections 2.10 - 2.15

[52 revision and study examples. Not included in this Sample.]
-------------------------------------------Regret and Surprise
2.16 For the simultaneous expression of surprise or regret and the reason inspiring this
attitude or reaction, the following colloquial sentence patterns are found:
Con lo + adjective (or adverb) + que + verb:
Con + definite article + noun + que + verb:

2.16.1
2.16.2

19

Con la de + noun + que + verb:

2.16.2
Con lo que + verb:
2.16.3
(Y) Tan + adjective (or adverb) + que / como + verb: 2.16.4
As can be seen, the patterns consist of the exclamatory structures described in 2.3
preceded by Con, and of the pattern (Y) Tan ... que ... (see also 5.15.3). There is an element of
intensification (i.e. very / so) implicit in such sentences, and in translation this will normally
be made explicit (e.g. Con lo fcil que es And yet its so easy!).
Notes:
1.
The above patterns with con, indicating a contrast between the sentiment and the
sentence or thought provoking it, are related to the standard concessive function of con
(= although, in spite of, etc.) shown in the following sentences:
Con ser tan sencillas las reglas de la concordancia, nuestras gramticas registran
numerosas anomalas en la lengua hablada y literaria ... (S. Gili Gaya, 1969: 27)
-Lleva usted pocos minutos aqu y, con ser yo tan curiosa y preguntona, nada s de
usted y usted ya sabe mucho de m. (SE, 53)
The concessive origin of these colloquial uses of con is more clearly illustrated when
the thought provoking the con regret pattern follows it in the same sentence:
-Con la de enfermos que hay en este pueblo ..., abandonarlos as. (MS, 1968: 326)
There are so many sick people in this village and they are being left in the lurch.
-A Nicasio, el pobre, con lo simptico que ha sido siempre , se le puso un carcter
inaguantable. (RRB, 45)
In the following colloquial pattern, however, which includes the colloquial intensifier
todo (see 4.25.3 Note), there is no implied regret:
-Con todo lo simptico que parece, no me gusta. He may seem very nice, but I don't
like him.
2.
Another major standard function of con is to introduce a reason (see also 5.15.2):
-Con el da que hace, ni se podr estar al aire libre. (JGH, 9)
Because of the bad weather, we wont even be able to stay outside.
2.16.1

Con lo + adjective (or adverb) + que + verb

-Con lo credo que yo estaba en que haba de s [= ser] ingeniero. (M. Regula, 1862)
And I was so sure he was going to be an engineer!
-Juan no quiere estudiar.
-Qu lstima! Con lo listo que es.

2.16.2

Con + definite article + noun + que + verb

Con + la de + noun + que + verb
-Que no hay paseo maana. Eso es lo que debe importarte.
-Con las ganas que tena de ir. (SV, 21)
And I was looking forward to going so much!
-Le gustara ser diplomtico y conocer as el mundo.
-Qu horror! Con la de diplomticos que raptan en esta era de terrorismo poltico ...
-se lament Paulino. (JAZ, 1973: 414)
Oh dear! When so many diplomats are being kidnapped in this age of political
terrorism!

20

2.16.3

Con lo que + verb

-Por lo nico que siento no haberme casado ha sido por no tener hijos ... Con lo que a
m me gustan los nios! (MS, 1968: 245) I simply love children!
-Qu lstima, Dios mo! Con lo que a m me gustaba ese hombre!
Oh dear, what a pity! And I was so fond of that man!

2.16.4

Note

(Y) Tan + adjective (or adverb) + que / como + verb

-Vlgame Dios, y cmo se pierde una casa! Tan bueno que era el to Barret! Si
levantara la cabeza y viese a sus hijas! (VBI, 1958a: 20)
My goodness It doesnt take long for a family to go downhill, does it? And old Barret
was such a good man too! Imagine how he would feel if he could see his daughters
now!
-Cundo se acabar la guerra, para irme? Tan bien que estaba yo antes. (AUP, 111)
See also 5.15.

Indignation
2.17 The simplest colloquial sentence pattern indicating surprise or indignation is the one
introduced by, or consisting entirely of, an infinitive. (In English: Fancy + -ing ...! or The
idea of + -ing ...!)
-Maldito sea, llevarse as mi barca! (AMM, 47)
Damn (him)! Fancy taking my boat like that!
-Salirme ahora con esas! Todas las embarazadas decs lo mismo. (MS, 1968: 123)
Fancy bringing that up now! All you pregnant women say the same.
-Acusarme de que mire las piernas de su novia! (JFDS, 84)
-Y ... quin es Alvarado?
-Qu cosa ms rara! No conocer a Alvarado! (AMA, 6)
This indignant use of the infinitive can be seen as the emotional reduction of a
standard pattern where the infinitive is the Subject of an expression of emotional judgement
(e.g. Es ridculo):
Hablar as es estpido.
Hacerse una casa en el campo y no dotarla de un paellero es algo incomprensible en
un valenciano. (Tele/Exprs, 1-9-73)
Moreover, this use of the infinitive may be further emphasised by the addition of Mira
/ Mire que or, less frequently, Cuidado que (see 2.7.1). With this sort of reinforcement, the
perfect infinitive (see 2.26.2) may also be used. Here the tone may be indignant or regretful:
-Mira que hablar de negocios antes de haber desayunado!
-Mira que no habernos enterado. (E. Lorenzo, 128)
Fancy us not finding out! / How stupid of us not to have found out!
-Verdaderamente, hija, tiene usted un marido bien extrao ... Mira que pasarse la
noche metido en un armario ... (JS, 1962: 13)
Note
Equally emotional but more context-dependent is the response pattern consisting of an
infinitive (and often a subject pronoun) which echoes a verb used in a preceding question or
suggestion. The purpose is either to query or to reject the suggestion, and the tone is usually

21

indignant:
-Mientes.
-Mentir yo? (RA, 1968 b: 232)
You're lying! Me, lying?
-Cmo te has acordado, as, de repente?
-Acordarme, de qu? (FU, 1966: 20)
For a related negative ironic pattern, see 2.14 Note. For the unemotional and totally
context-dependent use of an infinitive in answer to a question, see 4.3.2.
2.18
Another pattern for expressing indignation equivalent to English Fancy ... (not) -ing
...! or To think that ...! consists of (Y) Que (no) followed by a subjunctive. In this case also
one may assume the ellipsis of an expression of emotional judgement.
-Que se tengan que leer estas cosas! (overheard in Madrid)
-Que le vinieran a l con monsergas ...! (MS, 1968: 62)
The idea! Talking such nonsense to him!
Notes:
1.
The following example, given by Harmer and Norton (p. 184) is similar to a longer
sentence beginning with Qu pena que ...!:
Que no fuera yo un dios para luchar con los dioses!
If only I were a god, to wrestle with the gods!
2.
For other uses of que followed by the subjunctive, see 4.36 and 4.37.
2.19
Equivalent to the standard sentence pattern Y luego dicen que ... is the colloquial
comment pattern Para que (luego) + subjunctive. English translations: And then they ...!,
Thatll teach us, etc., to ...! Thatll show you, etc., that ...!
-Y luego dicen que las mujeres tardamos en vestirnos. Yo estoy arreglada desde hace
media hora.
-Parece una mosca muerta, pero los engatusa que da gusto. Para que una se fe de las
pueblerinas. (MS, 1968: 129)
She looks as though butter wouldnt melt in her mouth, but she really knows how to
charm them. Youve got to keep an eye on these village girls.
-No lo dije? xito total! Y yo solo, solo! Para que luego digan de la iniciativa
privada. (ACS, 34) Thatll teach them to criticise private enterprise!
-Para que luego digan que los hombres de iglesia son agradecidos. (Keniston, 163)
-Es posible?
-Para que veas que no soy yo quien asusta a la gente. (JB, 995)
-Toma castaa. Para que andes rompindote los cuernos en el campo ...
(AP, 1973: 58)
Just imagine that, will you? It certainly beats working your guts out on the land.

2.20
2.20.1

Como si + subjunctive
Como que + indicative

(English: As if )

22

Note

-Imbciles, como si no supiramos todos que lo han guardado en una mesa.

(PB, 1954: 187)
The fools! As if we didn't all know that theyve put it away in a table drawer!
-Trabajar! Como si yo no tuviese otra cosa que hacer!
(La Vanguardia Espaola, 1- 9-73)
-Pero bueno es mi padre. Como que me va a dejar ahora como antes, sabiendo que
est l all. (Seco, 369)
But my fathers a sharp one! As if hes going to let me go now, knowing that hes
there!
-Como que te lo va a dar! (J. Polo, 1969: 49)
For other uses of como que, see 3.26, 4.9.1., 5.25 and 5.26.1.

2.20.2 Como si and Igual que si may also be used in responses of indifference usually
following a request or a question and often following other initial expressions of indifference
(see 1.16). The verb in such sentences is in the indicative.
Suitable English translation patterns for such sentences would be:
(Or) You can ... if you like. I dont mind / care if (you) ...
-Puedes quedarte maana en casa ... Igual que si no quieres venir hasta el lunes.
(Moliner, II: 87)
-Importa si no llegamos hasta las siete?
-Como si queris venir a las ocho. (overheard in Madrid)
-Un domingo se lo digo a mi madre, y hasta el martes no vuelvo. Eh, don Jos?
-Lo que es por m! Como si no quieres volver en un mes! (JFS, 1957: 94-95)
-Entonces, t dejas que se la lleve el Negro as, sin ms? -le preguntaron.
-Como si es un gitano o el rey del Per -contest Isabelo. (AML, 1965: 696)
2.21 A further indication of indignation is by the use of patterns including si and the future,
conditional and future perfect tenses.
2.21.1 The future and related tenses, with or without initial si, are occasionally used in
exclamations of surprise, indignation, etc. The reinforcements fijese / fijate and mire / mira
(que) may precede the si.
English versions: How...! What a ...! He must be ...!, etc.
-Devolver El Tomillar ...? Ser insensato! (JCS, 1962: 43)
Give back El Tomillar? He must be crazy!
Una nia brot a su lado, lo mir con ojos grandes y le pidi chocolate ... No tengo,
pequea. Lo siento. La nia sigui mirndole. Sera impertinente!
(JMG, 1972: I, 11-12)
-Si ser tonto! (Esbozo, 471) How silly he is!
-Si habr tenido paciencia! (Esbozo, 472)
-Si estar bonito aquello! How nice! [sarcastic]
Note See also 1.10, 2.10.2 Note 1, 3.2.3 and 4.25.1 Note.

2.21.2 A more complex colloquial sentence pattern consists of the above pattern (with si)
followed by a result clause. [In English: I am (etc.) so... that...]
-Si estar aburrido que creo que voy a aprobar el primer curso completo.
(AP, 1972a: 269)
I'm so bored that I think I'm going to pass in all my subjects for the first time ever!
-Si ser fcil dejar de fumar -deca Oscar Wilde-, que he dejado de fumar

23

cuatrocientas veces en mi vida. (Cambio 16, 18-4-83: 106)

Its so simple to give up smoking ... that Ive given it up four hundred times in my life.
-Mire si ser tonto que no me acuerdo. (JFS, 1967: 49)
-Fjate si tus obras sern geniales, que no las entiende ni tu padre! (AL, 1961: 203)

Rejection, Rebuke and Protest

2.22 A common colloquial pattern for the expression of impatience with, and / or rejection
of, a preceding statement, imperative or question consists of an interrogative word followed
by a finite form of ir a or haber de (usually a present or imperfect tense form, but also
occasionally a conditional tense form of haber de), followed by a repetition of the word or
words which have provoked this brusque reaction (if they are not already covered by the
interrogative word itself).
By using these verbal periphrases, which are most often associated with references to
the future, the speaker is able to project an unwelcome statement, imperative or question into
the future and thereby convert it into a mere hypothesis, which the interrogative form of the
sentence then rejects as unlikely, impossible or irrelevant. Very often, as shown in 2.11.2, the
English translation will be an energetic negative response (e.g. Of course not!), but the
pattern is, in fact, much more versatile than this and, in different contexts, the following
equivalent English patterns are also possible:
a) Interrogative word + can, could, would or should (e.g. How could ? Why should ?)
-Lo crees?
-Cmo lo voy a creer?
-Por qu lo he de creer?
-Por qu lo iba a creer?
-Cmo lo haba de creer?
-Cmo lo habra de creer?
Why should I believe it? / How can I believe it? / How could I...?
-Lo creas?
-Cmo lo haba de creer? / Por qu lo iba a creer?
Why should I (have) believe(d) it?
b) Of course +
(not)
I do / I did / I could, etc.
I don't / I didnt / I couldn't, etc.
-Es ella?
-Qu va a ser ella! Of course its not her!
c) What do you think he did (etc.)? How do you think he did it (etc.)? How do you expect me
to know (etc.)?
Notes:
1.
For the ironic exclamatory use of No voy a ...! and No he de ...!, see 2.14 Note.
2.
In these patterns, Qu? may be a variant of Por qu?
3.
The standard sentence pattern consisting of an interrogative word followed by
quiere(s) que is also used in a similarly brusque or dismissive type of answer:
-Quin es se?

24

-Cmo quieres que sepamos quin es? (ABV, 1970: 29)

-... no dices palabra.
-Qu quieres que diga? Ya me lo has contado todo. (FGP, 1981: 23)
2.22.1

2.22.2

Examples with ir a:
-Es aqul?
-Qu va a ser aqul! (Keniston, 203)
-De eso ya se alivi.
-Qu se va a aliviar! (VL, 44)
Hes recovered from that.
Of course he hasnt recovered!
-Le conoces? Ay, qu tontera! Cmo no le vas a conocer!
(Televisin Espaola, 1973)
Do you know him? Oh, how silly of me! Of course you do!
-Qu te pasa con el chico?
-Nada, qu me va a pasar? (CG, Arg., 1971: 155)
'What's the matter between you and the boy?'
'Nothing. Why should there be?'
-Y qu tal tus negocios?
-Cules?
-Cules van a ser? Las casas, los grandes hoteles. (ACS, 100)
-T conocas a mi pap mejor que yo...
-Cmo lo iba a conocer mejor que usted. (MVL, 1972: 115)\
How could I have known him better than you did?
-Pero ests conforme?
-Cmo no voy a estarlo! (JLCP, 185)
Of course I am! / How could I not be? / How could I be otherwise?
-Y qu hizo?
-Qu iba a hacer? Estaba en una posicin falsa. (JGH, 157)
What could he do? / What do you think he did?
Vos? Y por qu te iban a llevar, a vos?
-Cmo por qu? Por envenenador! Te parece poco? (CG, Arg., 1971: 208)
-No cambi nada ...
-Y por qu iba a cambiar en tres meses? (OD, 92)
Of course not! / Why should it (change) ...? / How could it ...?
-No haba visto l a Luisito?
-Ay, mam, dnde iba l a verlo? (WC, 33)
Oh, mother! Where could he have seen him?
Examples with haber de:
-No me defender.
-Qu te has de defender t ...? (Keniston, 87) Why should you defend yourself?
-Ellos a lo mejor s saben.
-Qu han de saber.
Perhaps they do know.
Of course they dont! / How can they know?
-Calla, idiota!
-Por qu he de callarme? Es que no es verdad? (MM, 1967: 186)
-Puede saberse a quin te refieres?

25

-Pues, quin ha de ser ... T y el chico, cogidos de la mano ... (JG, 1964: 96)
Who do you think I mean? You and the boy, holding hands.
-No se ofende si le pregunto una cosa, don Pepe?
-Por qu haba de ofenderme? (LGB, 283) Why should I get offended?
-El otro da so que te haban detenido otra vez.
-Pero por qu haban de detenerme? (JLCP, 227)
-l habla muy bien de usted.
-No veo por qu haba de hablar mal. (LS, 1973: 313)
-Alguna mala noticia, Hermano? ...
-No; todo lo contrario ... Cmo habra el Seor de enviarnos una noticia
desagradable en un da como hoy? (JFS, 1971: 198)
Ni que + subjunctive
Also used to reject a suggestion, or an inference just made and to rebuke the person
who made it, is the pattern consisting of Ni que followed by a verb in the subjunctive
(normally in the imperfect tense). Although the tone is indignant, responses made from this
pattern may also carry overtones of mockery or jocularity. Such comments can usually be
translated into English by sentences beginning with Anyone would think (that) ... or with Its
not as if ...
2.23

-Ya voy, ya voy; ni que estuviese cruzando el desierto. (EBU, 265)

Im bringing the water! Anyone would think you were going through the desert!
La madre (y vuelve a abrazar a su hijo): -... Vicentito!
Vicente (Riendo): -Vamos, madre! Ni que volviese de la luna! (ABV, 1970: 28)
-Pero, pap, a tus aos ...
-Ni que fuese un anciano. (JAZ, 1973: 110-111)
-Diez pesetas por una foto de ese montn de basura? Ni que fuera la Brigitte
Bardot! (JFDS, 61)
Note
This ni que pattern presumably derives from the colloquial use of a subordinate clause
introduced by ni aunque (see 4.34.4), which may also be used to form a colloquial sentence
pattern (i.e. without a standard main clause):
-El padre de Eugenia se suicid despus de una operacin burstil desgraciadsima y
dejndola con una hipoteca que se lleva sus rentas todas. Y la pobre chica se ha
empeado en ir ahorrando de su trabajo hasta reunir con qu levantar la hipoteca.
Figrese usted, ni aunque est dando lecciones de piano sesenta aos.
(MU, 1956: 56-57)
Imagine! She wouldn't manage to pay it off even if she were to go on giving piano
lessons for sixty years!
M. Seco (1967, p. 54) gives the following alternative pattern which shows ellipsis of
ni:
-Ma [= Mira] que montar yo esta maquinaria! Aunque me dieran cinco duros!
I wouldn't do it even if they offered me twenty five pesetas. / ... even if I was offered...
Resignation
2.24 Sentences introduced by Para followed by the definite article, a noun and a relative
clause, or by lo que and a verb (i.e. Para el... que...; Para lo que...) indicate that something
does not matter in view of the circumstances mentioned in the sentence. A note of indignation

26

may also be present [cf. 2.19: Para que (luego) ...!]. The pattern is more or less equivalent to
the standard pattern No importa porque ... and to English For all the good (etc.) that ...!
-Que aqu no llega la msica!
-Para la falta que os hace ... (FU, 1966: 154)
For all you need it! / But you dont need it at all!
-Los dueos vendieron sus haciendas a las compaas, dicen que por un dineral ...
-Bueno, all ellos. Para lo que hacan con esas tierras. (CR, 114)
Well, thats their concern. They hardly used their land anyway.
-Y uno no debera preocuparse. Para lo que uno vive. (DM, 1967: 19)
One shouldn't worry. Life is so short.
Note
The following example shows the derivation of this pattern:
-Para la falta que hace en este palacio un Ayudante Militar, bien podras estar todo el
santo da de Dios jugando al tenis. (RM, 1964: 323)

Wishes and Regret

2.25 The most common colloquial patterns for wishes and hopes are those introduced by
Ojal (que)! and Si!
Less frequent and more archaic are those introduced by As! and Quin!
Translation into English is as follows:
Ojal (que)! and As!:
a) When followed by the present or perfect subjunctive: I hope ...
b) When followed by the imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive: I wish ...
(ii)
Si! and Quin! (which are usually followed by the imperfect or pluperfect
subjunctive): I wish ...!
(iii) Other general translation equivalents are:
If only ... May ...! and the archaic Would that ...!
(i)

-Ojal vuelva pronto!

-Ojal volviera pronto!
-No s por qu, pero tengo la seguridad de que algo va a ocurrir aqu.
-Voy a preparar la cena. Ojal no te equivoques, Csar. (RU, 1965: 19)
-As Dios me castigue si le miento! (Ramsey, 443)
-As te mueras! (Seco, 48)
-As nos hubiramos muerto el da en que puso los pies en mi casa. (Spaulding, 62)
-Cmo sigues?
-Muy malo. Federico. Estoy que no me tengo.
-As reventaras de una vez! (MM, 1967: 181) I wish youd just drop dead!
-Si pudiera volver ahora! I wish I could go back now. / If only ...
-Tengo veinticinco aos, seor cura.
-Quin volviera a tenerlos! (ECC, 1967: 91) I wish I could be twenty-five again!
-Quin pudiera vivir contigo! (Keniston, 160)

27

Note

For Ojal! as a verbless response, see 4.3.4.

2.26
Two other colloquial sentence patterns which convey a wish or a regret (and
sometimes a rebuke) do not have any introductory grammatical words but are still
characteristic of emotional usage.
2.26.1
The first of these must be assumed to derive from a si-pattern (similar to that
described in the preceding section) from which the si has been omitted. The pattern, which is
found in the imperfect or pluperfect tenses of the subjunctive, seems to be more common in
American Spanish than in Castilian. In Mexican usage, the pattern is particularly frequent
with the imperfect subjunctive of ver.
Suitable English translations are:
If only ...; You should have ...; Why didnt you ...?
-Vieras cmo impresion a los de Ovando, Federico. (CF, 1958: 153)
-El Padre Azcar me estuvo mostrando los proyectos de la ciudad del Nio. Son
preciosos! Viera qu ventanales! (JDO, 14)
-Dijranlo de una vez. (Ramsey, 440)
If only they had said so! / Why didnt they just say so?
-Hubieras venido antes! (Moliner, II: 1475)
-Viejo -exclam el Fiero-, hubieras visto ese asaltito de Umay que hicimos hace
varios meses. (CAL, 94)
-Qu barbaridad! Me hubieras dicho! Yo te las hubiera comprado por la quinta
parte. (J. M. Lope Blanch, 1971: 184)
Notes:
1.
See also 4.35.2.
2.
Note also the following examples given by Ramsey (p. 446). They express regret,
almost as if an initial Qu pena que...! has been omitted:
-All van! All van! No les llevaran los demonios!
Why didn't the devil carry them off? / What a pity the devil ...!
-Buscaba gentes que lo hicieran por m ... No las buscara hoy ..., ya que he roto a
hablar!
2.26.2 The second of these patterns consists of the use of the perfect infinitive (e.g. haber
hecho, haber dicho) to indicate to the listener a brusque reproach and/or a regret. Again one
may assume this to be a reduction of a standard structure from which a finite verb form, such
as debera(s), has been omitted.
The pattern is most characteristically found with the verbs decir and hacer. In
English: You should have ... Why didnt you ...?
-Creo que, efectivamente, los toros son demasiado pequeos.
-Pues haberlo dicho al principio! (AL, 1966: 187)
-Haberlo hecho con cuidado y no tendras que repetirlo. (Moliner, II: 8)
-Cmo err la vocacin!
-Pues haberlo pensado antes! (Ramsey, 354)
-Una limosna, por Dios, seorito, que tengo siete hijos.
-No haberlos hecho! le contest malhumorado Augusto. (MU, 1956: 115)

28

Note
Mara Moliner (II: 8) also lists examples which refer to the speaker and to a third
person not present:
-Haberlo sabido! I wish Id known!
-Ha tenido que pagar: haber sido ms listo. ... He should have been smarter.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Chapter 2 Exercise 3. Sections 2.16 - 2.26
[Not included in this Sample: 76 Examples]
End of Chapter 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Brief sample from Chapter 4]

Replacement of Introductory Verbs

4.14 Also common as colloquial sentence structures and serving to reflect the speaker's
feelings, are those in which an introductory standard personal verb of belief, judgement or
emotion (e.g. Supongo que, No s si, Espero que, Me alegro de que, etc.) or a so-called impersonal verb (e.g. Es posible que, Parece que, etc.) is replaced by other elements. The
replacement of such introductory verbs by adverbial and other expressions, although resulting
in a different shape to such sentences, can be seen as offering further colloquial alternatives
for the expression of such subjective needs as tenuous or qualified belief, hope, doubt,
certainty, relief, advising and warning.
Some of these replacements, which take the form of detachable colloquial adjuncts
have already been dealt with in 3.20-3.22 (e.g. a lo mejor, afortunadamente). The remainder
are listed here because they are clausal in form and/or are an integral part of the sentence in
which they occur.
Note
For other colloquial alternative for introductory verbs of belief and emotion, see 4.25-4.28.
A ver si
Apart from other more literal uses of a ver si (i.e. as a variant for vamos a ver si and
para ver si), the construction is very commonly used to introduce speculations on the part of
the speaker. Many nuances of meaning are possible but all of them are connected with some
form or combination of hoping, wondering, doubting, fearing and, particularly if the
following verb is addressed directly to the listener, suggesting or even ordering. In view of
the extremely wide scope covered by this construction, a variety of English translations are
possible, including:
I wonder; I hope; May I suggest ...? Why don t you ...? I doubt whether.
For convenience, the examples that follow are grouped according to the ending of the
accompanying verb.
First person forms:
-A ver si llegamos a tiempo. I wonder if well arrive in time.
-Entonces maana daremos otra vuelta a ver si encontramos otra cosa que te gusta
ms. (MM, 1967: 524)
[This is very close to the literal meaning of in order to see if, but there is still an
implied perhaps']
4.15

29

-Vamos, a ver si nos quedamos aqu todo el da! (FDP, 1972: 62)
[Here the speaker is a driver impatiently waiting for the traffic lights to change to
green.]
Really! I hope we're not going to be stuck here all day! / Hurry up and change, lights!
Third person forms:
-A ver si es verdad que sabe tanto como quiere saber. (RSF, 1965: 67)
-A ver si llueve de una vez.
-Ya es hora! (AML, 1965: 947)
Perhaps it'll hurry up and rain. Its about time!
-A ver si te oye alguien.
-Me tiene sin cuidado. (JLCP, 224)
Careful, someone may hear you. I don't care if they do.
-Dselo a tus padres cuando vayas a tu casa, a ver si la quieren cambiar ...
(JAZ, 1973: 163)
... they may want to change it. / ... perhaps theyll change it.
Second person forms:
-A ver si esta tarde te dejas caer un rato por aqu. (RSF, 1965: 12)
Why dont you come round here for a while this afternoon?
-A ver si escribes pronto. (E. Lorenzo, 128) Write soon. / I hope youll write soon.
-A ver si os hacis dao. (overheard in Madrid)
Mind you dont get hurt. / Youll get hurt if you arent careful.
-A ver si se cree que yo no tengo tanta prisa como usted por llegar a casa antes de
que empiece ! (Ya, 23-3-73)
I suppose you think ... / I hope you don't think ... / You surely don't think ...
Note
Similar in function are sentences beginning with a ver + interrogative word
(especially qu and cundo). (See also 4.8.2 Note 4):
-A ver qu dice ese seor ingls sobre la merienda. Requirieron el libro.
(JAZ, 1973: 377-378)
I wonder what... / Let's see what...
-Vas al pueblo, no? A ver qu dicen por all.
-De la mujer muerta?
-Pregunta a Raimundo. (JGH, 7)
-Desde la ltima huelga de metalrgicos la gente se sindica a toda prisa. A ver cundo nos
imitis los dependientes. (ABV, 1963: 27)
Since the last strike by the metalworkers, people have been rushing to join the unions. When
are you white collar workers going to follow our example? / Why don't you follow ...?
4.16
As equivalents for the verbal expresion es posible que, standard Spanish has quiz,
quizs, tal vez and acaso. Particularly colloquial, however, are the forms a lo mejor, igual
and lo mismo. Moreover, unlike the standard equivalents, which are either followed by an
indicative or a subjunctive verb form, these three colloquial variants are ONLY followed by
the indicative. For examples of these variants, which are used as adjuncts, see 3.21.1.
Less frequently the following verbal equivalents of es posible que are found:
puede que, pueda ser que and pudiera ser que. (As ritual responses, pueda ser and pudiera
ser; less often, pueda and pudiera.)
-Puede que la acompae. (ABV, 1964: 100)
-Cundo vinimos?

30

-Seran las tres..., o puede que las cuatro. (AS, 1967a: 952)
-S bien que mi nombre, en las historias de estas tierras segovianas, ocupar no ms
que un minsculo rinconcillo, pudiera ser incluso en letra pequea y a pie de
pgina. (CJC, 1971: 347)
-Quiz venga maana. -Pueda ser. Maybe.
-No hay nada serio ahora?
-Pudiera ser. (ABV, 1963: 30)
-Y t qu crees?, que Fernando va detrs de Mely?
-Pudiera. (RSF, 1965: 77)
4.17
Other clausal colloquial equivalents of standard introductory verbal expressions of
assumption, deduction and qualified belief (e.g. Parece que, (No) Es probable que, (No) Creo
que) are as follows. (For non-verbal independent adjuncts see 3.21.2 and 3.21.3.)
Se conoce que / Est visto que
Es fcil que / (Es) Capaz (que) [Am Sp]
Es difcil que / Difcilmente
Malo ser / sera que no + subjunctive

Apparently / Obviously [deduction] /

Presumably
Probably / Its likely that
Its unlikely that
Id be surprised if / It would be
very bad luck, if + negative verb

-El fotgrafo no est en casa.

-Se conoce que no. (PB, 1954: 196)
-Est visto que, tal como est el mundo, uno no puede vivir su vida. (MD, 1972: 30)
-Como ya dije anteriormente, es muy fcil que ambos cnyuges sean de la misma
edad. (FDP, 1971: 170)
-Capaz que llueva en seguida. (C. E. Kany, 421)
-Entendernos no podemos, amigo. Pero si es asunto de negocios, podemos, capaz,
acordar algo. (JMR, 195)
-No nos hemos visto en ningn otro lado?
-Es dificil que lo hayas visto, Mariv. Sebastin no va al cine, no va al teatro, no va a
cafs, no va a bailar. (MM, 1967: 112)
-Segn ella, agrada como peina, y como fija unos precios arreglados, malo sera que
no se haga una parroquia. (MD, 1966: 304)
According to her, women like the way she does their hair and since prices here are
reasonable, I'd be surprised if she doesn't get a nice lot of customers.
4.18
Common colloquial equivalents for introductory verbs indicating certainty or near
certainty are Claro que (see also 1.9 and 1.12), Seguro que and Seguramente (que). In
addition, there is the introductory expression A que?, which corresponds to English I bet ...
or How much do you bet that ...? The verbless responses A que si? (3.24) and
A que no? refer back to the verb in the preceding sentences and are best translated by
stressed auxiliary or modal verbs (e.g. I bet he did / is / could, etc.; I bet she didnt / isnt /
couldnt, etc.).
-Claro que te dar lo que pueda, pero tendrs que ahorrar mucho.
Naturally, I'll give you what I can, but you'll have to save hard.
-Seguro que su hija lo habra hecho muchas veces en el mar. (FGP, 1981: 9-10)
-Pero quin dijo eso? Seguramente que fue Valentina. (GC, 214)

31

-A que s cmo te llamas? Lo he soado esta noche ... (AML, 1965:771)

-A que no sabis cuntos resultados?
-Trece?
-Catorce! (LO, 1968: 87)
-No lo sabes. -A que s? I bet I do.
Notes
1. The interrogative punctuation which always accompanies written versions of A que? [not
qu] seems to reflect the origins of this structure, whether it comes from the standard question
pattern Cunto va a que ...? (Beinhauer, 394) or from the pattern Qu te apuestas a que ...?
(Moliner, I: 2).
2. For a que s? as an adjunct, see 3.24.
3. For the use of claro and seguro as adjuncts, see 3.21.3.
4.19 Two other colloquial types of alternatives for introductory verbs of emotion and
judgement are worth noting. Those of the first group, consisting of or deriving from
exclamations, express happiness, relief or sorrow (4.19.1), while those of the second group,
mainly used in American Spanish, indicate the advisability of a course of action and may also
function as variants for the imperative (4.19.2). An additional feature of interest is that after
these expressions, the indicative is either required or optionally possible. (See 4.31.)
4.19.1
..
-------------------------------------------Sample Page of Index
.
la / las: 5.1.6 Note 2; pues la hemos hecho buena / buena la hemos hecho / pues la hemos
liado, 1.26; la de + noun, 2.3.2 Note
largo (de aqu)!, 1.23.1
lstima: qu que!, 4.31
leche: (qu) leche(s)!, 1.28; 3.10.3
lee!, 1.28
ley: All van leyes do quieren reyes, 1.30.1; Hecha la , hecha la trampa, 1.30.2
liar: pues la hemos liado!, 1.26
Lbreme Dios!, 1.13
lindo, 2.15; 5.19.2
listo: est(s) , 2.15; y s, 3.30
llamar: lo que se llama, 3.9.3
llevar + present participle / sin + infinitive, 4.21.4, 4.23.4
lo: + adjective + es que, 4.31; + adjective/adverb + que + verb, 2.3.1; 2.4; 5.15; con +
adjective / adverb + que + verb, 2.16.1; con + que + verb, 2.16.3; con todo + adjective +
que + verb, 2.16 Note 2, 4.25.3 Note; de + noun / infinitive, 5.20.1; de menos, 5.20.1
Note 2; dicho, 1.3 Note 3; mo / suyo, 5.13 Note 3
lo mismo: 3.21.1; 4.31; (me) da, 1.15; (le) digo, 1.7.1; que si, 5.25
lo que: 4.1 Note; + verb, 2.3.3; 2.4; es, 3.19.3; es por m, 1.15; pasa es que, 3.14.2
Note 1; se dice / llama, 3.9.3; sea sonar, 1.15; son las cosas, 1.25.1 Note 3; (nos)
faltaba!, 1.26; faltaba para el duro!, 1.26; yo te / le digo, 3.19.3 Note
lobo: Del un pelo, 1.30.3
lgico, 1.9
llover: Nunca llueve a gusto de todos, 1.30.1

32

madre: mi ! / ma!, 1.25.2; tu

!, 1.13; 1.28; la que te / le pari!, 1.28
mal: No hay que por bien no venga, 1.30.1
maldito: sea (+ noun), 1.27; + noun / lo que + verb / si + verb, 5.3.2 Note
malo: ser / sera que, 4.17
Mande?, 1.4; 1.7.1 Note 2
manera: de que, 3.26, 5.26; de ninguna , 1.12; de todas s, 3.33.1
mangas: Buenas son despus de Pascua, 1.30.1
mano / manito, 1.19
mar: la de, 5.13
marchando!, 1.22.7 Note
ms: 2.2.4; + noun, 1.23.1 Note 1; de lo + adjective, 5.13; (tonto) que (tonto), 3.10.1;
como el / la que , 5.12.4; a no poder, 5.13; qu (me / te) da?, 1.15; vale ser cabeza
de ratn que cola de len, 1.30.1; qu quisiera (yo / l)!, 1.13 Note 3
mecachis en diez / en la mar (sal)!, 1.28
medrar: Amanecer Dios y medraremos, 1.30.1; medrados estamos, 1.26
mejor: 4.19.2; a lo , 3.21.1; 4.31; que , 3.9 Note 1
menda: mi , 5.1.4
menos: da una piedra, 1.30.1; mal, 1.29; mal que, 4.19.1; 4.31
menudo, 2.15
mi: alma / amor / cario / cielo / cielito / negro, -a / viejo, -a, 1.20; hijo, -a, 1.19 Note 2;
menda, 5.1.4
mientras no, 5.25
mir...coles!, 1.28
mierda!, 1.28
mirar: (y) mira / mire que, 2.7.1; 2.17; mira/mire (usted) por dnde!, 1.25.1; mira quin fue
a hablar!, 1.26; bien mirado / mirndolo bien / si bien se mira, 3.18.1
mismo: lo , 3.21.1; 4.31; me da lo
, 1.15; lo (me) da, 1.15; lo (le) digo, 1.7.1; lo que si, 5.25
modo: de que, 3.26, 5.26.1; de ningn , 1.12; de todos s, 3.33.1
mona: Aunque (la ) se vista de seda, se queda, 1.30.1
mono: hasta el ltimo , 5.1.4 Note 2
monte: Todo el no es organo, 1.30.1
mood, 4.30-4.32; see also under subjunctive
morir: a , 5.12 Note 1
muchas felicidades, 1.5
mucho: 4.4.2 Note 1, 5.11-5.13; 5.18.1;
+ noun / infinitive, 4.13; gusto, 1.2
muerto: El al hoyo, y el vivo, al bollo, 1.30.2
mujer: una can, 5.12.1
muy: 5.6-5.16; el + noun / adjective, 3.10.1; pero que , 3.9.2
nada: de, 2.11.3; de + noun / infinitive, 4.7.2; de eso, 1.13; ah es !, 2.14; de ,
1.7.2; para , 3.7.4; pues , 3.15
END OF SAMPLE
-----------------------------------Details of how to purchase this e-book (A Textbook of Colloquial Spanish, by Brian Steel) are
available at www.briansteel.net/e_libros or www.briansteel.net/articsylibros
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