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sfmacaws

Dec 22, 2006, 9:32 PM

Post #1 of 13 (3842 views)

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Road sign spanish

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I'm probably the queen of spanish road signs, I read them all and have traveled something like 60,000 miles of Mexican roads doing it. This is one I saw in the Huasteca Potosina on the trip down. I cannot figure out what it really means.

"Pavimento derrapante al estar humido"

I find the verb derramar 'to pour out or spill' and it might be reflexive which my dictionary says means 'to spill, overflow or run over' but to get derrapante from derramar seems a stretch to me. I'm guessing it means the pavement "weeps" when it is humid but really, is this what they are saying? Why does the pavement sweat or weep or spill over? Is the water coming up out of the pavement or running onto it? No doubt I'm barking up the wrong verb. Anyway, I need help with this one.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

tonyburton

Dec 22, 2006, 9:40 PM

Post #2 of 13 (3838 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Road sign spanish

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slippery surface when wet

wendy devlin

Dec 23, 2006, 7:40 AM

Post #3 of 13 (3826 views)

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Re: [tonyburton] Road sign spanish

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If "Pavimento derrapante al estar humido" is translated as slippery when wet,
then how would you translate "slippery when wet."

Written in bold black on a yellow background of the customary road sign shape.

On little clip-on earrings.
By a teenage girl in the 60's:)

esperanza

Dec 23, 2006, 8:05 AM

Post #4 of 13 (3820 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Road sign spanish

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http://saopaulopt.cowparade.com/cow/detail/3202

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

(This post was edited by Rolly on Dec 23, 2006, 12:16 PM)

sfmacaws

Dec 23, 2006, 8:45 AM

Post #5 of 13 (3817 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Road sign spanish

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I knew I would feel stupid about this but since I'm in for a dime, what is the root of the word, is it a verb? Of course, I looked up slippery in the english part of my dictionary when I saw the sign as that was an early guess. My dictionary has deslizar(se) for the verb 'to slip' and rebaladizo as 'slippery'.

I know, I probably should get a new dictionary. I use a pocket Langenscheidt's because it is small enough to keep around when I need it but the print is not infinitesimal. Google was stumped as well.

Esperanza, that no-slip cow was a hoot! But was that portuguese or spanish? Sometimes I can tell them apart and sometimes not.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

esperanza

Dec 23, 2006, 9:21 AM

Post #6 of 13 (3815 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Road sign spanish

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That cow is from the Cow Parade in Sao Paolo, Brazil and the language is Portuguese. The Cow Parade is currently in Guadalajara, by the way. It's fabulous.

Here:

http://www.wordreference.com/...on.asp?spen=derrapar

The verb is conjugated like amar.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

(This post was edited by Rolly on Dec 23, 2006, 12:19 PM)

sfmacaws

Dec 23, 2006, 9:31 AM

Post #7 of 13 (3813 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Road sign spanish

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Thanks, I don't think I'll forget that one. Not sure how I'll work it into conversation though, perhaps I could use Wendy's idea ;) Great reference site, BTW. I've put it on my toolbar.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

esperanza

Dec 23, 2006, 9:45 AM

Post #8 of 13 (3811 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Road sign spanish

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Hmm, Jonna, I've never seen you in earrings...

Here's the online dictionary I use most frequently:

Diccionario del Español Usual en México: http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/...9495211191/index.htm

And then there's this one, of course--the big guns of the Royal Academy: http://www.rae.es/

Derrapante does not appear in either of these two dictionaries.

I've never heard the word used in Mexico...which doesn't mean that no one uses it, just that I've never heard it. In conversation, I'd stick with some of the more usual words for slippery. The one I hear most frequently is the verb resbalar(se), and the adjective (resbaloso(a)--followed by the verb deslizar(se).

Take a look in the first link, the Diccionario del Español Usual en México.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

(This post was edited by Rolly on Dec 23, 2006, 12:17 PM)

sfmacaws

Dec 23, 2006, 10:05 AM

Post #9 of 13 (3805 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Road sign spanish

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Quote

The one I hear most frequently is the verb resbalar(se), and the adjective (resbaloso(a)

That's the word I've seen as well, including on road signs. Guess they just do it differently in the Huasteca.

Cancel that earring order.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

quevedo

Dec 23, 2006, 10:39 AM

Post #10 of 13 (3802 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Road sign spanish

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The road sign should read, Pavimento derrapante cuando está húmedo, not "humido".

Derrapante comes from the verb derrapar:

derrapar. (Del fr. déraper).
1. intr. Dicho de un vehículo: Patinar desviándose lateralmente de la dirección que llevaba.

Real Academia Española © Todos los derechos reservados

Literally, "Speaking about a vehicle: To slip (skid), diverting itself laterally from the direction it was following."

Húmedo means humid, wet.

Feliz Navidad,

Quevedo

sfmacaws

Dec 23, 2006, 12:25 PM

Post #11 of 13 (3795 views)

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Re: [quevedo] Road sign spanish

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You're right, it was a typo on 'humedo'. The rest was accurate though, I wrote it down when I saw the second one as I had been trying to figure it out since the first one.

Gracias Maestro.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

sparks

Dec 24, 2006, 5:25 AM

Post #12 of 13 (3770 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Road sign spanish

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Superficie Derrapante
http://dgcc.sct.gob.mx/index.php?id=582

Sparks Mexico - Sparks Costalegre

hopalog

Jan 27, 2007, 10:45 AM

Post #13 of 13 (3638 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Road sign spanish

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You came through the Huasteca at the wrong time. :) You're talking about the signs on MX70, right? If you were here now, you'd not need to guess. They are VERY slippery right now. But the sun is out today, so we can hope. :)

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