WORDS AND PHRASE FROM THE MOVIE
A CHRISTMAS STORY
(page 6)
The line from the movie you heard
this time was: My old man's spare tires were actually only tires in the academic sense. They were round, they had once been made of rubber. Or as
translated in the movie: Once again you probably won't be able to ever use either of those phrases. But we can at least learn some vocabulary words and some grammar. Las llantas means "tires". Repuesto means "spare or spare part". Solo is the adjective that means "only". Sólo is the adverb that means "only". Eran is the imperfect form of the verb ser. The imperfect form of a verb is used for on-going actions or states. It is useful for descriptions. Sentido means "sense". Redondas is an adjective that means "round". Because it refers to "tires" in the first sentence (which is a feminine noun) you say redondas. In English we do not think of adjectives as being plural, but in Spanish adjectives have to agree in gender and number with the noun or pronoun that they modify. Habían sido is the past perfect sense of the verb ser "to be". It is used to express an action in the past. Caucho means "rubber". Here are some more simple phrases. When there is a name just substitute any name. ¿Cuánto? |
¿Por qué estás
llorando? |
¡Claro, Papá Noel! Of course, Santa Claus! Claro means "of course" when it is used as an interjection. Otherwise claro can also mean "clear". The way you would say "Of course not!" is ¡claro que no! The way you would say "Certainly!" is ¡claro que sí! Papá Noel is the Spanish name for "Santa Claus". |
El grande is used here as a title meaning "great". Grande when used as an adjective means "big or large". Before a singular noun you would use gran. El jefe means "chief or boss or head of an organization". |
|
Vocabulary Words | ||
caucho | = | rubber |
¡claro! | = | of course! |
creo que | = | I believe that |
creo que no | = | I don't think so |
cuánto | = | how much |
debe ser | = | He or she or it must be |
decir | = | to say or tell |
el jefe | = | chief or boss |
joven | = | young man/woman or young |
las llantas | = | tires |
llorar | = | to cry |
Papá Noel | = | Santa Claus |
por qué | = | why |
repuesta | = | spare or spare part |
redonda | = | round |