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Thread: Good Online Spanish/English Translators?

  1. #1
    Registered User Rores28's Avatar
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    Good Online Spanish/English Translators?

    Basically what the title says... some are giving different translations of the same phrase and I'm not really sure how to judge which is more accurate.

    The phrases in question are

    Son blancos.

    and

    Es blanco.

    Some say these mean "Are white" and "Is white" respectively while others say "They are white." and "It is white."

    It's a little confusing because it looks like Son and Es do double duty relative to English and function as both a pronoun and verb...in this instance but simply as a verb when you say something like "Le perro es blanco."

  2. #2
    All are at the crossroads qimissung's Avatar
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    I think pronouns are often simply understood (not overtly used) in Spanish, which might account for the confusion.
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  3. #3
    Registered User billl's Avatar
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    Qim is right. The subject is typically included in the verb, when possible. "Son blancos." is a complete sentence, and so "They're white," is the translation in English (which needs the subject). For example, you will rarely see the word "it" ("ello") used as a subject in Spanish, although it is pretty common, about as often as in English maybe, to see "it" used as an object ("lo","la").
    Last edited by billl; 01-04-2011 at 01:58 AM. Reason: ello

  4. #4
    Kristina Faith faithosaurus's Avatar
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    Yes, it is "they are white" and "it is white", as bill said. And as he also said about it being more of an object.

    i.e. "Yo (lo/la) doy a ella" or "I give it to her".
    "I drag myself out of nightmares each morning and find there's no relief in waking."

  5. #5
    riding a cosmic vortex MystyrMystyry's Avatar
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    I'm uncertain as to the correct spelling but isn't or/ole/ de fa so la ti/et est something something hola?

    Doesn't that mean 'My carrot is growing its people in the aerodrome, si?'

    or is it on colorado/e'l sap d'trees que?

    Meaning 'The rayon raincoat has fourteen zippers but only one is for show?'


    Something along those lines anyway...

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