Job Discussion Forums

MO39 · Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 8:34 pm Post subject: Surfing in Spanish

Would any of you ESL teachers/surfers know how to say "Catch that wave and ride it" in Spanish? None of my several dictionaries have any surfer vocabulary in them.

Mil gracias,

MO

Cdaniels · Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 10:34 pm Post subject: Que Onda?

I've heard "Que onda?" literally translated as "What's the (sound) wave?" But maybe it could mean ocean wave? "Surfear la Red" is "To surf the 'net." I have probably just confused matters for you though. Twisted Evil

Ms. Atondo · Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 10:44 pm Post subject:

All of the translations I can come up with either refer to menstruation or sex. Maybe try to act it out and see if anyone can guess what you are doing. Embarassed

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

I'm gonna guess 'agarra la onda'. You can use that a number of ways as in 'get a clue'. In Spain, they just might say 'coja la onda'. don't say that in Mexico though.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

Hey MO!!

You're not going to the Pacific coast and learning how to surf over Christmas are you??

I was thinking of doing that!

Cowabunga!

MELEE · Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 5:22 pm Post subject:

MO39 · Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 7:16 pm Post subject:

Thanks to everyone for their comments. My question came not from plans to learn to surf over the holidays (I never even learned to swim), but because of an English to Spanish translation I've been working on. It's not a how-to surf handbook but rather articles for the website of a spiritual community in Oregon. They like to use colloquial language and references to popular culture to make their message more accessible to the uninitiated, hence the reference to surfing.

I've spent enough time here and in Spain to know not to use "coger" in Mexico (and always felt a bit naughty when using it in Spain, as in "coger el autob�s"). And I know that ocean waves are "olas", not "ondas". (I've always thought that "�Qu� onda?" meant "What's happening?")

Guy, "agarrar" might be the right verb to use. Melee, if you could ask your PE students how they'd say "catch a big wave and ride it", I'd really appreciate it!

MO

MELEE · Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 10:37 pm Post subject:

Okay,
the student wasn't in class the other day, but he was there today.

catch a wave is:
Agarra una ola

ride a wave is:
tomar una ola

But since the source was using it figeratively, I think it would be better to also say something more like "agarrar la onda y siguierlo"

MO39 · Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 2:33 am Post subject:

Melee,

Un mill�n de gracias to you and your student! Dictionaries are useful, but comments from everyday users of the language are often much more to the point.

MO