Author: woodward

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No todo lo que brilla es oro

No todo lo que brilla es oro

Significa: Algo (o una situación) puede parecer perfecto y bonito pero esa perfección es sólo apariencia y la realidad podría ser distinta y no tan bonita.

In Spain they say “No es oro todo lo que reluce.”

Vocabulary

todo = all
el oro = gold
brillar = to shine/glitter/sparkle
relucir = brillar

The English version of this is: “No all that glitters is gold.”

Means: Some things are not what they appear to be. Something may appear perfect and beautiful but that perfection is only appearance and the reality may be different and not so beautiful.

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De tal palo, tal astilla

De tal palo, tal astilla

Significa: El hijo es igual que el padre (similitud entre padres e hijos relacionando su herencia genética). Cuando alguien es similar/semejante a otra persona por sus condiciones generales.

Ejemplo:

  • Lo encarcelaron igual como su padre cuando joven. “De tal palo tal astilla”
  • A Carlos le gustan las fiestas tanto como a su padre. “De tal palo tal astilla”

el palo (= stick)
la astilla (= splinter/chip)

Loosely translated the refrán (saying) means “As the wood, so the chips.”

Meaning: when a son (or daughter) behaves/looks/does something similar to his father (or mother)

Using this metaphor you can think of the parent as the stick and the child as the splinter/chip. The astilla will have the same characteristics (such as grain, texture, solidity) as the palo (wood) it came from so the child will also have the same characteristics as the parent(s) he/she came from.

This is similar to the English saying:

  • The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
  • Like father, like son.

¿Eres como tus padres?

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Besame Mucho Lyrics

Bésame mucho is one of the most well known songs sung in Spanish. It was written by the Mexican songwriter Consuelo Velázquez in 1940 and there have been many versions of it since.

Below are the original lyrics along with its English translation

Bésame mucho in Spanish

Bésame, bésame mucho,
Como si fuera esta noche la última vez.
Bésame, bésame mucho,
Que tengo miedo a perderte, perderte después.

Quiero tenerte muy cerca,
Mirarme en tus ojos, verte junto a mí.
Piensa que tal vez mañana
Yo ya estaré lejos, muy lejos de tí.

Bésame, bésame mucho,
Como si fuera esta noche la última vez.
Bésame, bésame mucho,
Que tengo miedo a perderte, perderte después.

English Translation

Kiss me, kiss me a lot,
As if tonight were the last time.
Kiss me, kiss me a lot,
I fear to lose you, to lose you afterward.

I want to have you very close,
See myself in your eyes, see you next to me.
Think that maybe tomorrow
I’ll already be far, far away from you.

Kiss me, kiss me a lot,
As if tonight were the last time.
Kiss me, kiss me a lot,
I fear to lose you, to lose you afterward.

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Upside down question mark in Spanish

What is the upside down question mark in Spanish?

When you write a question in Spanish you need to put the inverted question mark symbol ¿ at the beginning of the question to show where it starts, as well as the normal ? symbol at the end of the question to show where it finishes.

¿Dónde vives? (Where do you live?)
¿Cuántos años tienes? (How old are you?)

You don’t put the question mark right at the beginning of the sentence if it is not a part of the question. Just at the beginning of the question itself.

Hola, ¿cómo estás?
Estoy cansado, ¿y tú?
No encuentro mis zapatos. ¿Dónde están?

Notice how the first letter of the question is not a capital letter as in English unless it is separate from the rest of a sentence.


How do you say question mark in Spanish?

Signo de interrogación


How can you create an upside down question mark on a normal keyboard?

On a Windows computer hold down the ALT button and type in the number 0191
On a Mac computer hold down the Shift button, the Option button and the ? (question mark) button.

Windows: ALT + 0191
Mac: Shift + Option + ?

Check out our post on how to make other special symbols on an English keyboard