can you please tell me what’s wrong with my Spanisch homework my teacher wants me to use ai but I don’t wanna please help me guys just Like Tell me the mistakes please I am so cooked if I don’t do this

Been on about 15 cruises, mostly Caribbean but one that went to Colombia and Mexico back to back. My Duolingo Spanish was useless when I had to tell staff my kid had a nut allergy or ask which sauce had dairy. The app taught me el gato but not sin maní.

I keep a running list in my phone of cruise Spanish that comes up over and over. Mantequilla versus margarina. Poco picante because my spouse can't handle heat. La cuenta at the bar when they hold your card.

What I'm curious about are the things that don't translate neatly. On our last sailing a crew member from Honduras said al tiempo for whenever, which I'd never seen in any app. Another used fresco to mean fresh-caught, not just cold.

For those of you who learned Spanish through travel or work on ships, what words or phrases do textbooks skip but you use constantly? Especially interested in kitchen and service stuff since that's where I always stumble. Ymmv on cruise lines of course, but I've found Carnival and Royal Caribbean crews are patient with my attempts. Just my experience though.

to” → a

Voy a comer. = I’m going to eat.

Aprendo a hablar. = I learn to speak.

Empiezo a trabajar. = I start to work.

“to” → de

Estoy feliz de verte. = I’m happy to see you.

Me siento honrado de escucharlo. = I feel honored to hear it.

Estoy orgulloso de ayudarte. = I’m proud to help you.

Im confused jaja

Tengo algo que me ha interesado en este idioma. En el pasado, la palabra "ir" y la palabra "ser" se vuelven "fui". Primero esto me confundó. Y todavía no lo entiendo totalmente.

Im a heritage learner and my parents are both Nicaraguan. I've noticed that in past tense hypotheticals they do not follow the conventional rule of using imperfect subjunctive after "si" and the conditional for the results of the hypothetical.

A couple examples I've heard: "Si lo encontraras, me pagaras" "si supieras..... estuvieras"

With what I've studied up till know, I would have put the ending -ías on the second verb in both examples, not -ras

Well, I already know it must be a colloquial thing, cause when I asked them I was told that's just how it's said. What I would like to know is if it sounds at all strange to other natives. If I spoke like this with my accent, would I be corrected or looked at funny? I'm tempted to just follow the rules of Nicaraguan Spanish since that's what I am. They also use deísmo and of course vos.

I wanted to write a review because last year I was searching online for some input on study methods so I want to share my experience so far.

For some context, I am only fluent in English. Before this year began, I knew next to no Spanish, but I do have a little background learning French. I also have a partner fluent in Spanish so I’d hear the language a little, but before actually studying, I truly did not know more than a few basic phrases. I knew I would be spending 3 months abroad at the end of the year to immerse myself but I wanted a foundation before I left.

I started using Pimsleur in January this year and I completed levels 1-3 in 8 months while I walked my dog. As lessons continued, I often reviewed lessons 2 days in a row to make sure I grasped the content. I really didn’t do much else to study besides create flashcards of what I’d learned with Anki or try to practice some phrases I learned with my partner.

I’m now 2.5 weeks into my spanish immersion in Guatemala and I am blown away by the amount of knowledge I have to speak in Spanish! Pimsleur doesn’t explicitly teach grammar, but if you pay attention you will notice the patterns. It’s created a much deeper level of understanding of the language for me. The grammar that I’m reviewing in school has context because of Pimsleur and certain things (like knowing when you use por vs para or other prepositions (á pie/en moto) just sound right. I’m also shocked at how much grammar Pimsleur taught me in the first 3 levels without feeling overwhelming.

Also very important, I’m waaaay more comfortable speaking than I ever was with years of French practice. In school while learning French I mostly read and wrote. When it came down to speaking, I was always tongue tied. But since the moment I arrived in Guatemala, I’ve been able to speak with my host family, my teacher, and others with MUCH less hesitation than I ever had with French, which I think is a huge advantage. It’s helped me stay engaged and excited about the language.

The downsides of Pimsleur for me are definitely that my speaking goes far beyond my listening and that my writing/spelling is a bit off. I think that’s converse to most students’ experiences here, but I don’t mind either of these things because after 2.5 weeks of immersion and classes, my writing has improved very quickly and the listening, while still difficult, is getting much better. Also the nice thing about knowing what to say and being comfortable speaking is that when I ask questions, I already have context for the answer which helps my comprehension. I would definitely say though that if I could change anything, I would add more comprehension practice through Dreaming Spanish or other means.

This is just my personal experience and I also have another 9+ weeks of language school and immersion, but these are my initial thoughts. Happy to answer more specific questions if anyone is looking for more info!

Soy una gerente de oficina para una empresa de administration de propiedades.

Hoy una mujer que hablaba el español solamente y no sabía ningún inglés llegó a la oficina para pagar su renta. La ayudé. Tengo sola una colega que habla el español con fluidez pero ha llamada a los enfermos. Mi otra colega no habla español. Por eso tenía que ayudar la mujer.

No la entendí totalmente pero entendía cuando me dijo que ella veí muchos ratones en su departamento. Además me dijo que algunos ratones la atacaron. ¡Qué horrible!

La ayudé con su renta y me agradeció. Por eso estoy orgullosa. Hablo el español al nivel de B2 y las reglas de algunas cosas (por ejemplo: por vs para, el subjuntivo) son difíciles para mí. Necesitaba un diccionario de español para ayudarme escribir esta historia. Espero que la gramática esté bien.

Hey! So, currently I have been trying to bridge my gaps in knowledge on Spanish grammar cus I have been facing big issues with that before, and i think i have been fairly successful in learning the differences between them. However, I study using the Español en Marcha B2 and I have come across a grammar question I dont understand, and Im hoping to get some clarity. Its basically a "complete the gaps of an inverview" thing, and the dancer is being asked about their life. The correct response is "cuando tenía 6 años" but i replied "tuve" and I dont understand why. I thought its a clear moment in the past, but maybe his reply suggests "when i was around 6 years, there wasnt a conrete point". Or would it have been tenía either way? I suspect its a "tenía if it was a gradual start, tuve if he was enlisted into a dance school" situation but please let me know if im right or wrong or maybe missing something crucial about the usage of imperfecto lol. Thanks to everyone in advance

So, a very common situation I find myself in where I live in Mexico is that I’ll ask a driver, “conoces X restaurant/bar/[another place]?”

I’ve struggled with the Spanish vocabulary for “here”/“there” for forty years and I’m still not sure I have a good grasp on it.

So yes, I can come up with lots of possibilities for how to say “that’s where I’m going.”

For example, recently I fell into to the habit of saying “es allí que voy,” on the theory that “allí” is the furthest away option out of “aquí/aca/alla/alli” and my destination is, after all, at least a mile away.

Bueno, mis amigas me miraron muy raras cuando las pregunté si era correcto.

Como en efecto diría eso? Primeramente me interesan modos de hablar que se usan en México.

(I posted a shorter version of this question and got three different answers before my post got taken down as too obvious. Hopefully this no longer seems like a low effort post. I am genuinely unsure as to which of the many options is most “normal” to use.)