Friday, 15 June 2012

Sol

Today's WOTD is: "sol" = sun

In Spanish, the noun "sol*" is a masculine noun of Latin origin which means sun.

In Spanish, the noun “sol” is also used in music terminology to refer to:
  • A solfège syllable (the word solfège being derived from sol – fège);
  • A musical key (treble clef);
  • A musical note (G);
The noun “sol” is also the name of the currency of Perú;

*NB See grammar below

Some commonly used expressions containing the words "sol" are:
  • Al ponerse el sol (at sunset);
  • Al salir el sol (at sunrise);
  • Al sol (in the sun);
  • Arrimarse al sol que más calienta (to keep in with the right people/ crowd);
  • Aún hay sol en las bardas (all hope is not yet lost);
  • Clave de sol (treble clef/ G clef);
  • Dar el sol (to get the sun/ sunlight – only third person verb);
  • De sol a sol (dawn to dusk);
  • En sol mayor (in G major);
  • En sol menor (in G minor);
  • Hacer sol (to be sunny – only third person verb);
  • Horas de sol (daylight hours);
  • Rayo de sol (sunray);
  • Reloj de sol (sundial);
  • Ser un sol (said affectionately of someone or something to indicate how nice/ good he/ she/ it is);
  • Sol bemol (G flat);
  • Sol de justicia (blazing sun);
  • Sol de la Indias (sunflower);
  • Sol sostenido (G sharp);
  • Tomar el sol (to sunbathe);
  • Un día de sol (a sunny day);

Some examples of the use of the word "sol" are:
  • Saldremos al ponerse sol (we'll leave at sunset);
  • Nos levantamos al salir sol (we get up at sunset);
  • No deberías ponerte al sol (you should avoid being in the sun);
  • ¿Sigues al sol? (are you still in the sun?);
  • Pedro es de los que se arriman al sol que más calienta (Pedro is one of those who keep in with the right people/ crowd);
  • La clave de sol en segunda línea es muy usada (the treble clef spiralling on the second line is very common).
  • A esta casa le da el sol sólo por la tarde (this house gets the sun only in the afternoon);
  • La gente del campo a veces trabaja de sol a sol (country people sometimes work from dawn to dusk);
  • El concierto para piano en sol mayor de Ravel (Ravel's piano concerto in G major);
  • El concierto para piano en sol menor de Juan Sebastián Bach (Johann Sebastian Bach's concerto for piano in G minor);
  • Hoy no hace sol (today is not sunny);
  • En verano tenemos más de doce horas de sol (in the summertime we have more than twelve hours of daylight);
  • Los rayos del sol entran por la ventana (sun rays get in through the window);
  • Por aquí casi no quedan relojes de sol (there are almost no sundials left round here);
  • Eres un sol (you are so nice);
  • Hacer un sol bemol significa bajar medio tono (producing a G flat means going a semitone lower);
  • Hacer un sol sostenido significa subir medio tono (producing a G sharp means going a semitone higher);
  • Estamos bajo un sol de justicia (we are in the blazing sun);
  • Al girasol se le conoce también como sol de Indias (the sunflower plant is also known as “sun from the Indies”);
  • ¿Vamos a tomar el sol? (shall we go to sunbathe?);
  • Hoy hace un día de sol perfecto para ir a la playa (today is a sunny day, ideal for going to the beach);


*Grammar-Capitalisation
In Spanish, the correct spelling of this noun is as follows:
  1. In general use, it should be written all in lower case, that is “sol”.
  2. Only when referring to the Sun, the star at the centre of the solar system, the Spanish noun could be capitalised, that is, written as “Sol”.

Love-Spanish.com loves the word "sol" in the YouTube clip: Sale el sol – Shakira

For more on the word "sol", visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Sol

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

This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct Spanish lessons online on a wide range of topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

For more Free Spanish:
Follow us on:
© Copyright 2012 Love-Spanish.com. by Jose M González. All Rights Reserved.

1 comment:

Margaret M said...

Vamos a la playa calienta el sol...