Language Learning

1. Toi deprendiendo asturianu

   I am learning Asturian

   Usage

   To say you are still learning; people tend to slow down and choose simpler words

   Grammar Note

   "To learn" is deprender (not Spanish aprender); the language name is lower-case and ends in -u (asturianu). Composed sentence; native review recommended.

2. ¿Pue falar más lentu, por favor?

   Could you speak more slowly, please?

   Usage

   A polite way to ask someone who speaks too fast to slow down; used with usté (formal "you")

   Grammar Note

   "To speak" is falar (not Spanish hablar); pue is the third-person singular of poder, used for polite requests to usté. Composed sentence; native review recommended.

3. ¿Cómo se diz esto n'asturianu?

   How do you say this in Asturian?

   Usage

   Point at an object to learn its name; the most useful sentence for building vocabulary

   Grammar Note

   "To say" is dicir and se diz means "is said" (Spanish se dice); en + asturianu contracts to n'asturianu. Composed sentence; native review recommended.

4. ¿Pue correxir el mio asturianu?

   Can you correct my Asturian?

   Usage

   To ask someone to fix your mistakes after you have spoken; used with usté (formal "you")

   Grammar Note

   "To correct" is correxir (Spanish corregir, with x for g); mio does not change for gender or number. Composed sentence; native review recommended.

5. ¿Qué quier dicir esta pallabra?

   What does this word mean?

   Usage

   To ask the meaning of a word you do not know; also useful with signs and menus

   Grammar Note

   "Word" is pallabra (Spanish palabra); quier dicir is the third-person singular of querer, meaning "means". Composed sentence; native review recommended.

6. Prestaríame dir a clases d'asturianu

   I would like to take Asturian classes

   Usage

   To say you would like to join a language course; useful when asking a school or cultural centre about classes

   Grammar Note

   "I would like" is the conditional prestaríame; "to go" is dir (Spanish ir); de + asturianu contracts to d'asturianu. Composed sentence; native review recommended.

7. ¿Pue escribilo, por favor?

   Can you write that down, please?

   Usage

   To have a word or place name written down when you could not catch it; used with usté (formal "you")

   Grammar Note

   "It" attaches to the end of the verb and the infinitive loses its -r: escribilo (Spanish escribirlo). Composed sentence; native review recommended.

8. Quiero practicar asturianu con falantes nativos

   I want to practise Asturian with native speakers

   Usage

   To say you want to practise by talking with speakers; useful when looking for a language exchange or a local group

   Grammar Note

   "Speakers" is falantes (Spanish hablantes), derived from falar and the same for men and women. Composed sentence; native review recommended.

9. Nun entendí. ¿Pue repitilo?

   I didn't understand. Can you repeat that?

   Usage

   To ask someone to say it again when you did not catch it; used with usté (formal "you")

   Grammar Note

   Negation before a verb is nun (not non); repitilo is repitir minus its -r, with "it" attached. Composed sentence; native review recommended.

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