Sunday 13 May 2012

Calle


Today's WOTD is: "calle" = street

In Spanish, the noun "calle" is a masculine noun of Latin origin which means a street. The noun “calle” may also be used to refer to:
  • A lane in athletics running tracks, and swimming pools;
  • The fairway on a golf course;
  • The route a counter follows in certain board games.

A commonly used related Spanish noun is “callejón” which in contrast is masculine and means narrow street/ alley

The Spanish describing word/ adjective “callejero”*/ “callejera” describes something as relating to or belonging to the street (see expressions and examples below).

*NB The word “callejero” also exists as a masculine noun, meaning a street map/ directory.

Some commonly used expressions containing the words "calle" and “callejón” are:
  • Abrir calle (to make way through a crowd);
  • Calle de la amargura (a painful situation);
  • Calle ciega (dead end/ cul-de-sac);
  • Calle cortada (dead end/ cul-de-sac);
  • Calle de dirección única (one way street);
  • Calle de sentido único (one way street);
  • Calle de una vía (one way street);
  • Calle mayor* (high street/ main street)
  • Calle peatonal (pedestrian street);
  • Calle sin salida (dead end/ cul-de-sac);
  • Callejón sin salida (blind alley/ cul-de-sac);
  • Echar a la calle (to sack/dismiss, to evict, to expell someone);
  • Echar por la calle de en medio (to make a snap decision);
  • Echar por la calle del medio (to make a snap decision);
  • Echarse a la calle (to take to the streets);
  • El hombre de la calle (the man in the street);
  • El lenguaje de la calle (colloquial language);
  • Estar en la calle (to be penniless/ homeless);
  • Hacer calle (to make way through the crowd);
  • Hacer la calle (to walk the streets/ look for custom on the streets);
  • Llevar de calle algo (to win something with ease);
  • Llevarse de calle algo (to win something with ease);
  • Llevar de calle a alguien (to have someone at one's beck and call);
  • Llevarse de calle a alguien (to have someone at one's beck and call);
  • Llevar por la calle de la amargura (to make someone's life a misery);
  • Salir a la calle (to go out/ to come out/ to be launched);
  • Plantar a alguien en la calle (to sack/dismiss, to evict, to expel someone);
  • Poner de patitas en la calle (to sack/dismiss, to evict, to expel someone);
  • Quedarse en la calle (to loose everything);
  • Tirar por la calle de en medio (to make a snap decision);
  • Tirar por la calle del medio (to make a snap decision);
  • Traer por la calle de la amargura (to make someone's life a misery);

*NB not used normally in Spanish to refer to high street shops/ shopping.

Some examples of the use of the word "calle" are:
  • La policía nos abrió calle entre la muchedumbre (the police made way for us through the crowd);
  • La policía nos hizo calle entre la muchedumbre (the police made way for us through the crowd);
  • Esta situación me lleva por la calle de la amargura (this situation is making my life a misery);
  • Esta situación me trae por la calle de la amargura (this situation is making my life a misery);
  • Esta es una calle ciega (this is a dead end/ cul-de-sac);
  • Esta es una calle cortada (this is a dead end/ cul-de-sac);
  • Esta es una calle sin salida (this is a dead end/ cul-de-sac);
  • Estamos en un callejón sin salida (we are at a dead end);
  • A Pedro lo han echado a la calle (Pedro has been sacked/ given the boot);
  • A Pedro lo han plantado en la calle (Pedro has been sacked/ given the boot);
  • A Pedro lo han puesto de patitas en la calle (Pedro has been sacked/ given the boot);
  • Nos hemos quedado en la calle (we have lost everything);
  • Ante una difícil situación, Pedro echó por la calle de en medio (facing a difficult situation, Pedro made a snap decision);
  • Ante una difícil situación, Pedro echó por la calle del medio (facing a difficult situation, Pedro made a snap decision);
  • Ante una difícil situación, Pedro tiró por la calle de en medio (facing a difficult situation, Pedro made a snap decision);
  • Ante una difícil situación, Pedro tiró por la calle del medio (facing a difficult situation, Pedro made a snap decision);
  • La gente se echó a la calle (people took to the streets);
  • Al hombre de la calle le interesa poco la política (the man in the street has little interest in politics);
  • ¿Es eso lo que quiere decir en el lenguaje de la calle? (is that what it means in colloquial language?);
  • Estamos en la calle (we are penniless/ we have lost everything);
  • Nos hemos quedado en la calle (we have lost everything);
  • Esa muchacha hace la calle (that girl walks the streets);
  • Ese equipo lleva de calle el partido (that team is winning the game/ match easily);
  • Ese equipo se llevó de calle el partido (that team has won the game/ match easily);
  • Ana lleva de calle a todos los chicos (Ana has all the boys at her beck and call);
  • Ana se lleva de calle a todos los chicos (Ana has all the boys at her beck and call);
  • Voy a salir a la calle a tomar un poco el fresco (I am going out for a bit of fresh air);
  • Ese libro sale a la calle la semana que viene (that book comes out next week);

Love-Spanish.com loves the word "calle" in the YouTube clip: Taxi- Perdido en la calle


For more on the word "calle", visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Calle

*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “calle” in the link to hear the word pronounced.

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1 comment:

Margaret M said...

Cuanta gente salio a la calle para ver la princesa