Learn how to ask what a word is in Spanish
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| Let’s look at some more examples. |
| Listen and repeat or speak along with the native speakers. |
| ¿Cómo se dice "book" en español? |
| Se dice "libro". |
| ¿Cómo se dice "book" en español? |
| ¿Cómo se dice "pen" en español? |
| Se dice "pluma". |
| ¿Cómo se dice "pen" en español? |
| ¿Cómo se dice "bag"? |
| Se dice "bolsa". |
| ¿Cómo se dice "bag"? |
| ¿Cómo se dice "pencil" en español? |
| Se dice "lápiz". |
| ¿Cómo se dice "pencil" en español? |
| ¿Cómo se llama esto? |
| Se llama 'libro.' |
| ¿Cómo se llama esto? |
| Did you notice how I used a different pattern? |
| Víctor Trejo: ¿Cómo se llama esto? |
| "What do you call this?" |
| Víctor Trejo: ¿Cómo se llama esto? |
| First, is cómo, translating as "what," in this context. Cómo. |
| Next is se llama. "One calls." Se llama. |
| Se, "one," as in "one calls." Se. |
| Next is the word llama, "calls" as in "one calls." Llama. |
| Llama is from the verb, llamar, meaning "to call." Llamar. |
| Together, Cómo se llama, "What one calls," but translates as, "how [do] you call." Cómo se llama. |
| After this is esto, "this." Esto (enunciated). Esto. |
| Esto is used when referring to something right in front of you, or which you touch. |
| All together, ¿Cómo se llama esto? "What [do] you call this?" ¿Cómo se llama esto? |
| To refer to a thing that has some distance from you, use eso, "that." Eso (enunciated). Eso. |
| ¿Cómo se llama eso? |
| "What do you call that?" |
| These are very useful patterns for using Spanish to learn Spanish, and they are particularly useful for learners in an immersive learning environment. |
| Did you notice how "en español" was omitted? |
| By asking in Spanish, the context is clear, and therefore, you can omit the phrase en español, "in Spanish." |
| The pattern: |
| ¿Cómo se llama {esto/eso}? |
| "What [do] you call {this/that}?" |
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