¡Bienvenidos al Blog de Español de DGS!

Grammar tip: Existance versus location

Both the verbs estar and haber can be used to indicate the presence of a person or thing. However, they are seldom interchangeable.
The difference is that haber, typically in the form of hay in the present tense or había for the past, is used to indicate the mere existence of the person or thing. Estar, on the other hand, is used to indicate the location of the person or thing.
Note, for example, the difference between these two simple sentences:
No hay presidente. This sentence indicates that the president doesn't exist, perhaps because the office is vacant.
El presidente no está. This sentence might be used, for example, to indicate that the president isn't present, although he or she exists somewhere.

Vocabulary:filler words
In English we have many "filler" words for when we don't know how to continue on in a sentence, or that can even express a certain emotion (e.g., "err..."). I am thinking of words such as hmmm... err... like (ooh, I hate that. Hey, I used another one.). What I would like to know is, what are some types of "words" such as this in Spanish?
In Spanish those "filler" words are called muletillas (little crutches) and are very common. But Spanish speakers tend not to use one-syllable utterances as much as in English. Instead, they tend to use common words like este (usually pronounced as esteeeee, depending on how nervous the person is), esto (or estoooo) or o sea (which roughly means "I mean").
Che is often heard in Argentina. In other areas you may hear es decir (meaning, roughly, "that is to say"). The "er" has its equivalent in the sound "eeeehh," and em is similar to the English "ummm."
Also, it is very common to use pues, which has a variety of meanings. Pues can be used at the start of a sentence as a kind of filler while you can get your thoughts together. Or try a ver, which is to say, "let's see."

Culture: the Day of the Dead
At first glance, the Mexican custom of El Día de los Muertos — the Day of the Dead — may sound much like the custom of Halloween. After all, the celebration traditionally starts at midnight the night of Oct. 31, and the festivities are abundant in images related to death.
But the customs have different origins, and their attitudes toward death are different: In the typical Halloween festivities, death is something to be feared. But in el día de los muertos, death — or at least the memories of those who have died — is something to be celebrated.
El día de los muertos, which continues until Nov. 2, has become one of the biggest holidays in Mexico, and celebrations are becoming more common in areas of the United States with a large Hispanic population.
Its origins are distinctly Mexican: During the time of the Aztecs, a monthlong summer celebration was overseen by the goddess Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead. After the Aztecs were conquered by Spain and Catholicism became the dominant religion, the customs became intertwined with the Christian commemoration of All Saints' Day on Nov. 1.
Specifics of the celebration vary with region, but one of the most common customs is the making of elaborate altars to welcome departed spirits home. Vigils are held, and families often go to cemeteries to fix up the graves of their departed relatives. Festivities also frequently include traditional foods such as pan de muerto (bread of the dead), which can conceal a miniature skeleton.

Click here to find out more on spanish.about.com

Don't forget to click on the link in the last entry to post your comments and read what other people have to say.