Notes

Spanish words with different meanings, or how easy it is to get stuck

Have you ever heard the concept of “multiple meanings”? If you are learning Spanish, you will have a lot of headaches, and constant doubts when using them will add to uncertainty. Or perhaps you use these types of terms all the time, even if you don’t realize it. Many examples of polysemantic words in Spanish are nothing but a reflection of its semantic richness.

The extent of the area of ​​use of the Spanish language in different territories and the existence of various national variants – forms of national speech, without sharp structural differences, but acquired autonomously, have a different expression. Like “chillinites” in Chile, words that are unique to this particular country. Even the same Spanish word may have different translations in different Spanish-speaking countries.

Among the reasons for the emergence of polysemy are the limited language resources, the limited capacity of human memory, and the generalizing properties of the language.

 
“Polysemy” means “polysemy”. Therefore, words with these characteristics are those that are spelled exactly the same but mean different things. Spanish is a very rich language that contains them in abundance. In fact, polysemy makes this language much more efficient. This gives our conversations more speed, as well as a better understanding of the sound.
 
This feature of the terms makes it necessary to put them in context in order to understand what is being said, and to cross your fingers that you are understood correctly.
 
1. Bank   BANCO
On the one hand, the basic meaning of the word is: “A seat for several people, long and narrow, with or without a back. Sometimes it is attached to the ground. This is the bench on which we sit, for example, in a park or in a church.
 
Another of the most common meanings of the word is that which is given to that “commercial company that carries out financial transactions with the money of shareholders and customers.” By this term we also mean the premises or offices in which the said company serves the public. Surely, children have seen more than once how their parents had to go to the bank to carry out a transaction or withdraw money.
 
Let’s go to the park where there is a bench to sit   Vamos al parque donde hay un banco para el asiento
Today we need to go to the bank. Hoy tenemos que ir al banco.
2. Letter   CARTA
 
We have a letter that we send to our friends or relatives (a piece of paper) or a letter that refers to the restaurant’s daily menu.
 
We must see what is in the letter   Hay que ver lo que hay en la carta
Must see what’s on the menu Hay que ver, entonces en el carta   
 
3. SIERRA saw
A saw is a type of fish (the famous sawfish) and a tool for cutting wood or other materials.
 
Submit a saw for sawing wood   Alimente la Sierra para cortar madera
Sawfish served today   Hoy servían pescado a la Sierra
4. Taco   TACO
Tacos are a Mexican food and footwear worn by soccer players.
 
Had a nice taco for dinner today. Hoy hubo un buen taco para la cena
Today there were good tacos in the shoe store   Hoy hubo buenos tacos en la zapatería
 5. River RIO
The flow of water and the conjugation of the verb to laugh (“I laugh”).
 
The water flows like a river  El agua se vierte por el río
I laugh now Me rio ahora
6.   CURA treatment
Medicine is the healing of a wound or a cure for some disease; it is also a representative of the church (a priest who celebrates mass).
 
I bought   Compré un cura para la herida wound medicine.
Priest leading mass  Cura oficia misa
 
7.   PICO spike
A short kiss on the lips. It is also part of the birds (beak), and a tool for digging the earth, as well as the top of the mountain.
 
We climbed the peak of Mount   Subimos al pico de la montaña
The parrot has a curved beak  El loro tiene un pico curvo
8 Cat   GATO
A cat is an animal and also a tool used for lifting weights (used mainly in cars – a jack).
 
 The cat sometimes kills small animals and birds.    La gata a veces mata pequeños animales y pájaros.
I couldn’t change a car wheel because I didn’t have a jack.    No pude cambiar la rueda del coche porque no tenia una gata.
9. Front   FRENTE
The front of something (for example, a step forward), and the area of ​​​​the body above the eyes.
 
I passed my hand across my forehead   Pasé mi mano por mi frente
Front of the  Frente de la casa house
 
10. MUÑECA doll
Body part (wrist) and toy.
 
You have a beautiful doll  Tienes una hermosa muñeca
You have a beautiful bracelet on your  wrist  Tienes una hermosa pulsera en tu muñeca
11. Tail COLA
This refers to a queue of people, as well as the hairy back of a horse or other animal.
 
 We stood in line for an hour. Hicimos cola durante una hora
 The horse wagged its tail to keep the flies away. El caballo movía su cola para apartar a las moscas.

Each language has its own characteristics, but this is their attraction and pleasure in learning, discovering something new and improving.

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