USING A DICTIONARY IN SPANISH
SELECTING THE CORRECT WORD
E. Siler
This is part I, of a two-part lesson on how to use the dictionary to select the correct word.
For this lesson, you should turn on the INTERNET and look at the word corriente in two
different online dictionaries (the Cambridge and www.diccionarios.com). Also please take out
your big blue Oxford dictionary and look at the word as well.
First, you have to identify the part of speech that you are looking for. So let’s look at the word
corriente in these noun phrases: la corriente poetica; la corriente fundamental. In both
cases, corriente appears as the first major word in a noun phrase – meaning that the best Las
Vegas bet is that this is a noun (called a nombre or a substantivo in Spanish). It’s feminine
because it has the word la in front of it and is modified by poetica – which ends in a and is
clearly feminine.
Second, you have to identify how the dictionary you are using actually shows definitions. Let’s
go through the OXFORD first:
Notice these features:
There are two completely separate definitions of corriente – one for each possible part of speech
(adjective or noun). Corriente #2, shown on p. 217 is a noun entry. You know this by the f
(for nombre femenino) next to it. So that is the corriente you need to look at.
Now look at how the entry is divided by A,B,C,D in little blue boxes in the margin. Each of
these is a general meaning of corriente – and that is shown in parentheses. Note:
A:
B:
C:
D:
(de agua)
(de aire)
(tendencia)
(Elec) (meaning electricidad)
Notice also that after definitions A and D there is a bulleted list of Compuestos (collocations).
All of the collocations after D are common phrases that use current in the sense of electricity:
alternating current, direct current, etc.
Probably, for your purposes, C is the best place to look since this doesn’t appear to be about
water, air, or electricity. Under this general meaning, several possible definitions/synonyms are
given: trend, school of thought; a current.
After each definition, a pattern sentence/phrase is given with a translation. The mark ~ replaces
the word corriente. Las nuevas ~s de la moda; una ~ de pensamiento; una ~ de opinion
contraria a esta tesis.
After each pattern sentence/phrase, a translation is given: the latest trends in fashion; a school
of thought; a current of opinion at odds with this idea. Any of these might work well with la
corriente poetica.
Now look at www.dicccionarios.com (remember this is a pay site with limited free access).
Notice these features:
Notice that the entry starts with four numbered adjective uses of corriente. This is followed by
five numbered noun uses. Following the noun uses, there is a blue list of collocations.
Following the collocations is a green list of common idioms that incorporate corriente.
Look at the four five noun uses. Notice that the first noun use is masculine -- so clearly you
would not look there for a definition of la corriente poetica.
Notice that after each listing there is a general meaning: mes (month), masa de agua (mass of
water), de aire (of air), current, and de arte (of art). I would look at #4 since this is the general
meaning that is most related to poetica.
Notice there are multiple definitions after each general meaning. In the case of #4, the
definitions are trend, current, school. These would be good definitions for la corriente poetica.
Now look at the Cambridge Dictionary Online at
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=6226&dict=S&lang=S Notice these features:
Notice that this dictionary divides parts of speech by using classical outline format (I, II for big
divisions; 1,2 for smaller subdivisions).
In this case I shows the adjective definitions. II shows the noun definitions. The abbreviation
used is f for nombre feminino.
Notice there are two definitions listed under II. These are numbered 1 and 2.
Notice after each definition number there is a general meaning given: de agua, electricidad (1)
or tendencia (2). In front of the general meaning there are additional labels to help you decide:
arte, lit (literatura). It seems the best choice to define la corriente poetica would be under #2.
The definitions are listed in italics. In the case of #2, the definition given is tendency.