By Fr. Eduardo Barrios, SJ -
People who communicate well in both English and Spanish abound in cities like Miami, where the mixed "Spanglish" is also widely spoken.
Those who switch easily from English to Spanish and vice versa discover that each language has its strengths and weaknesses.
Let's start with the word friend. In English, it is not clear whether it is a man or a woman. In Spanish there is no doubt, since there are two words, amigo and amiga.
The word cielo in Spanish refers to both the physical sky and the supernatural heaven. English, on the other hand, has those two words, sky and heaven.
The word fish refers to both live and cooked species. Spanish has two different words: pez (live) and pescado (cooked).
Cerdo in Spanish is found both in the barnyard and cooked on the table. English distinguishes between pig and pork.
In the legal field, English beats Spanish. A law graduate is called abogado. But in English there are many terms to designate law professionals, namely, lawyer, attorney, esquire, solicitor and barrister.
English is also more precise when referring to crimes. In Spanish, two words must be used to translate arson: incendio provocado. The same goes for manslaughter; two words are needed for its equivalent, homicidio involuntario.
To say dowager, the Spanish needs more than one word: viuda de un noble.
English does not specify the gender of many animals. For example, cat and dog are clearly defined in Spanish as gato and gata (cat), perro and perra (dog). Although there is a feminine term for "dog," it is considered a swear word, so it is better to say female dog.
In Spanish, the verb stare needs two words: mirar fijamente.
It is not easy to find a word that translates the verb estrenar into English. If we are talking about a garment, we should say, to wear for the first time. If it is the premiere of a movie, we will have to look at the French and say première.
At a wake, the mourners are offered sympathy, but in Spanish they are given el pésame. They are not given simpatía, a word that means something else.
In English, people use apologize to say they are sorry. Not in Spanish, because apología means "to defend."
A place is referred to as a facility in English. But you cannot say facilidad to refer to a place in Spanish, because it means "ease."
There are two words that are similar, but they have very different meanings. For example, when a young female student comes home saying that she was embarrassed at school, she means to say that she was "ashamed," "uncomfortable." However, embarazada in Spanish means "expecting a child." What a difference!
There is no single word in Spanish for wildfire; it takes two, fuego forestal.
When diners remain seated at the table after having eaten, they remain de sobremesa. In English, it is necessary to use a phrase such as, to remain at the table talking after dining.
We leave it to our dear bilingual readers to continue making comparisons between the English and Spanish languages.
