At the moment I’ll reply the query what number of days are in every week in Latin America. I can even provide you with a mini-review of a ebook known as Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish by Margarita Madrigal.
Final night time, I used to be studying Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish by Margarita Madrigal which additionally occurs to be one of many “classics” about studying Spanish. I extremely suggest the ebook.
On web page 279 the creator makes an fascinating level and says that:
“Typically Spanish talking folks say ‘eight days in the past’ as an alternative of ‘every week in the past’ and ‘fifteen days in the past’ as an alternative of ‘two weeks in the past.’ Why? Heaven solely heaven is aware of.”
Señora Madrigal then offers a number of examples:
Hace ocho días
(A week in the past/eight days in the past).
Hace quince días
(Two weeks in the past/fifteen days in the past).
Nicely, Señora Madrigal might imagine that “solely heaven is aware of” why Spanish audio system converse that manner. However I do know why. Nicely, at the least I’ve a idea about why Spanish audio system converse that manner. They rely “as we speak” as a day. We do not.
Let me provide you with an actual life instance that explains higher than I can.
At the moment (Saturday), I let my “novia” speak me into getting each a pedicure and a manicure, which by the best way are usually not known as “pedicura” and “manicura” right here in Colombia as all of my Spanish books have taught me to say. Colombianos use the phrases “pedicure” and “manicure” and pronounce the phrases the identical manner we pronounce them in English. However, after all, with a VERY HEAVY Latin American accent.
Again to my pedicure and manicure…
After the señorita completed with each, she advised me to return in eight days. So I reasoned that if as we speak is Saturday, then meaning return on a Sunday, not the next Saturday.
So I requested her “está abierta los domingos?”
“No” she responds, “no está abierta los domingos — regrasa el sábado.”
And I reply “entonces, necesito volver en siete días.” She the says “No, en ocho días.”
At that time, I began to marvel if Latin Americanmath is totally different from American math or is it simply me? However then she begins to rely the eight days out loud to me.
“Sábado, domingo, lunes, martes, miércoles, jueves, viernes, sábado — ocho días — oíste?”
And that is after I realized why they name “ocho días” every week and name “quince días” two weeks. They rely “as we speak” as a day — and we do not.
I hope that real-life instance helps you perceive one of many idiosyncrasies of Spanish audio system. However, the señorita within the “peluquería” might be questioning why the Gringo who was in determined want of each a pedicure and manicure would not already know that “hay ocho días en una semana” (there are eight days in every week)