“Patrick, you overlooked the obvious. The way you end your emails with ‘nos vemos.’ Isn’t that
a perfect example of how native Spanish speakers often use the present tense when native English speakers would use the future tense?”
Yes, I did overlook the obvious.
“nos vemos” which literally means “we see each other” as opposed to “we WILL see each other”
is another example of how native Spanish speakers use the present tense where native English speakers would use the future tense.
Cambiando de tema (changing the topic) . . .
Last night, I was reading a book that I consider one of the “clásicos” (classics) about learning Spanish. It is a book called Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish by Margarita Madrigal.
On page 279 the author makes an interesting point and says that:
“Sometimes Spanish speaking people say ‘eight days ago’ instead of ‘a week ago’ and ‘fifteen days ago’ instead of ‘two weeks ago.’ Why? Heaven only heaven knows.”
In other words, Margarita Madrigal is saying that at times Spanish-speakers say ‘eight days ago’ instead of ‘7 days ago’ and ’14 days ago’ instead of ‘two weeks ago.’
Señora Madrigal then gives several examples:
Hace ocho días
(A week ago/eight days ago).Hace quince días
(Two weeks ago/fifteen days ago).
Well, Señora Madrigal may think that “only heaven knows” why Spanish speakers speak that way. But I also know why . . . .
They count “today” as a day. We don’t.
Let me give you a real life example that explains better than I can.
Today (el sábado – Saturday), I let my “novia” (girlfriend) talk me into getting both a pedicure and a manicure — which by the way are not called “pedicura” and “maincura” here in Colombia as
all of my Spanish books have taught me to say. Colombianos use the words “pedicure” and “manicure” and pronounce the words the same way we pronounce them in English — but, of course, with a VERY HEAVY Latin American accent.
Back to my pedicure and manicure . . .
After the señorita finished with both, she told me to return in 8 days. So if today is Saturday, then that means return on a Sunday — not the following Saturday. Right?
So I asked her “La peluquería está abierta los domingos?”
“No” she responded, “no está abierta los domingos — vuelva el sábado.”
And I responded “entonces, necesito volver en siete días.”
She says “No, en ocho días.”
At that point, I started to wonder if Latin American math is different from American math — or is it
just me?
How To Say The Days Of The Week In Spanish
But then she begins to count the eight days out loud to me.
“Sábado, domingo, lunes, martes, miércoles, jueves, viernes, sábado — ocho días — oíste?”
And that’s when I realized why they call “ocho días” a week and call “quince días” two weeks. They count “today” as a day — and we don’t.
I hope that real-life example helps you understand an “idiosincrasia” (idiosyncrasy) of Spanish speakers. I should say an “idiosincrasia” of native English speakers learning Spanish. The señorita in the “peluquería” is probably wondering why the Gringo who was in desperate need of both a pedicure and manicure doesn’t already know that “hay ocho días en una semana”
