Forums > Specific Focus > Learning Spanish

pabloyu

Feb 24, 2011, 6:45 PM

Post #1 of 9 (5369 views)

Shortcut

socialmente hablando

Can't Post | Private Reply

socialmente hablando, este es un problema. In this sentence, what does "socialmente hablando" mean?
Dreamland, Cuba, Inca y Azteca

Maesonna

Feb 24, 2011, 7:44 PM

Post #2 of 9 (5358 views)

Shortcut

Re: [pabloyu] socialmente hablando

Can't Post | Private Reply

Context? For example, what is the problem being talked about?

Reefhound

Feb 24, 2011, 8:00 PM

Post #3 of 9 (5350 views)

Shortcut

Re: [pabloyu] socialmente hablando

Can't Post | Private Reply

Off the record?

mazbook1

Feb 24, 2011, 8:38 PM

Post #4 of 9 (5346 views)

Shortcut

Re: [pabloyu] socialmente hablando

Can't Post | Private Reply

My thought, seeing it out of context, is that it would mean either "speaking conversationally" or "speaking informally".

tashby

Feb 25, 2011, 6:55 AM

Post #5 of 9 (5322 views)

Shortcut

Re: [mazbook1] socialmente hablando

Can't Post | Private Reply

I wonder if maybe it translates beyond the literal and is a colloquial way of saying, "Just between you and me...."

That, by the way, is only a wild guess on my part. Just speculating for the fun of it.

(This post was edited by tashby on Feb 25, 2011, 6:57 AM)

Maesonna

Feb 25, 2011, 9:54 AM

Post #6 of 9 (5300 views)

Shortcut

Re: [pabloyu] socialmente hablando

Can't Post | Private Reply

My first thought was that socialmente meant “in societal terms.” Clearly I was coming into this right after editing a string of sociology and history articles. :)

raferguson

Feb 25, 2011, 6:49 PM

Post #7 of 9 (5273 views)

Shortcut

Re: [pabloyu] socialmente hablando

Can't Post | Private Reply

Sometimes I look up phrases in Google to get examples in context. I would rather see an example than a definition.

This example looks like "generally speaking".

http://es.answers.yahoo.com/...0101003121104AADUzpC

This example appears to use socialmente as similar to Politica, and historica, so means more like sociologically.

http://mx.answers.yahoo.com/...0090821082134AA4E0Bp

So maybe this phrase can have more than one meaning, depending on the context.

As far as your example, we don't see the context, but it probably means more like "sociologically speaking."

Richard

http://www.fergusonsculpture.com

mazbook1

Feb 26, 2011, 12:20 PM

Post #8 of 9 (5246 views)

Shortcut

Re: [raferguson] socialmente hablando

Can't Post | Private Reply

raferguson, Thank you so much for that idea. I constantly use Google in Spanish for researching things not likely to be found in English (for correct people's and place names, correct Spanish spellings, etc.) as I am editing manuscripts for publication by my publishing company, Editorial Mazatlán, but that particular idea never occurred to me. Thank you for putting a new tool in my editing toolbox.

(This post was edited by mazbook1 on Feb 26, 2011, 12:22 PM)

zaragemca

Mar 4, 2011, 9:19 AM

Post #9 of 9 (5167 views)

Shortcut

Re: [mazbook1] socialmente hablando

Can't Post | Private Reply

Greetings. The meaning would depend in the context in which these people are communicating, which it could mean talking about the society as a whole. But also could mean having a friendly talk, 'como socios' = como amigos. Gerry Zaragemca
International Club of Percussionists