Forums > Specific Focus > Learning Spanish

manzanas vs cuadras

Oct 10, 2002, 9:48 PM

Post #1 of 14 (3733 views)

Shortcut

cuadras vs manzanas

Can't Post |

I forget specifics but I was listening to a city planner talk about infrastructures. He used the word manzana I guessed, to refer to a city block. A talk about apples would in this context wouldn't have made sense. My question would be, are manzana and cuadra used interchangeably? Would bloque be more SW US El Paso East LA and all points in between?

Esperanza

Oct 10, 2002, 10:04 PM

Post #2 of 14 (3546 views)

Shortcut

cuadras vs manzanas

Can't Post |

Yes, cuadra and manzana are used interchangeably to say city block. Bloque is another pochismo, not used for 'blocks' in the sense of city blocks, at least not in the interior. Bloque ordinarily means cement block, the construction material.

YO-rch

Oct 11, 2002, 5:27 AM

Post #3 of 14 (3522 views)

Shortcut

cuadras vs manzanas

Can't Post |

: I forget specifics but I was listening to a city planner talk about infrastructures. He used the word manzana I guessed, to refer to a city block. A talk about apples would in this context wouldn't have made sense. My question would be, are manzana and cuadra used interchangeably? Would bloque be more SW US El Paso East LA and all points in between?cuadra=longitudinal
manzana=perimetralSaludos!!!

Nip

Oct 11, 2002, 6:14 AM

Post #4 of 14 (3523 views)

Shortcut

? for you

Can't Post |

Does pochismo mean slang?: Yes, cuadra and manzana are used interchangeably to say city block. Bloque is another pochismo, not used for 'blocks' in the sense of city blocks, at least not in the interior. Bloque ordinarily means cement block, the construction material.

Esperanza

Oct 11, 2002, 7:13 AM

Post #5 of 14 (3524 views)

Shortcut

? for you

Can't Post |

Modismo means slang of an idiomatic sort; it comes from 'modo', or way...in this case a 'way' of speaking.Pochismo means a word in usage only along the border, usually on both sides of the border, and usually a corruption of both English and Spanish...not exactly Spanglish, though. The noun 'pocho' is generally used to signify someone who is Mexican-born but raised in the United States; hence 'pochismo'. There's another thread a little way down that also refers to some pochismos.

Pernel

Oct 11, 2002, 12:50 PM

Post #6 of 14 (3542 views)

Shortcut

cuadras vs manzanas

Can't Post |

: I forget specifics but I was listening to a city planner talk about infrastructures. He used the word manzana I guessed, to refer to a city block. These terms puzzled me when I was living & studying Spanish in Oaxaca where many house numbering tiles contain the manzana numbers.I was told that manzanas are more like small neighborhood districts, with a specific Jeffe, encargado, in charge of local matters and disputes. A Cuadra is merely ONE CITY BLOCK SQUARE.I don't think that the Manzana system is extant now in Mexico. Anybody know for sure?Cheers,
Pernel

Jim en Cancún

Oct 11, 2002, 4:50 PM

Post #7 of 14 (3523 views)

Shortcut

I live in SM 27 M11 in Cancun and...

Can't Post |

Nip

Oct 12, 2002, 7:03 AM

Post #8 of 14 (3518 views)

Shortcut

thank you

Can't Post |

Thank you, I learn something new every day on this forum.: Modismo means slang of an idiomatic sort; it comes from 'modo', or way...in this case a 'way' of speaking.: Pochismo means a word in usage only along the border, usually on both sides of the border, and usually a corruption of both English and Spanish...not exactly Spanglish, though. The noun 'pocho' is generally used to signify someone who is Mexican-born but raised in the United States; hence 'pochismo'. There's another thread a little way down that also refers to some pochismos.

en el DF

Oct 12, 2002, 7:44 PM

Post #9 of 14 (3522 views)

Shortcut

cuadras vs manzanas

Can't Post |

Una cuadra means just one block, from corner to corner. Para ir a la tienda caminas una cuadra y das vuelta a la izquierda....Una manzana means the whole square block, the four sides. Haz ejercicio y dale diez vueltas a la manzana...

Rubén

Oct 13, 2002, 9:07 PM

Post #10 of 14 (3520 views)

Shortcut

cuadras vs manzanas

Can't Post |

La manzana está formada por cuadras, que son el perímetro de la manzana. La manzana puede tener una forma triangular, cuadrangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, etc. y a cada lado, perimetralmente, se le llama cuadra. Para un mejicano, nacido y crecido aqui en México, el término "pocho",
significa: persona nacida y crecida en los Estados Unidos, de ascendencia mejicana y que hable el idioma español, mixto con inglés.

brad

Oct 14, 2002, 5:24 AM

Post #11 of 14 (3519 views)

Shortcut

cuadras vs manzanas

Can't Post |

¿Existen los pochos en España? elmundo.es diccionario dice:bloque:Manzana o edificio de casas de similares características.: Yes, cuadra and manzana are used interchangeably to say city block. Bloque is another pochismo, not used for 'blocks' in the sense of city blocks, at least not in the interior. Bloque ordinarily means cement block, the construction material.

alex

Oct 15, 2002, 5:07 PM

Post #12 of 14 (3520 views)

Shortcut

legal property description

Can't Post |

In the Infonavit complex where we live each of the 50 apartment buildings has a 4 digit number. On the escritura (deed) for an apartment in building number 4775, for example, all of the units show location of manzana 47. Followed by that is the departamento (apartment ) number. Included are also the cross streets, and colonia. So, yes, the term is still in current use.
Alex

Guest elyisus@yahoo.com

Dec 15, 2003, 6:38 PM

Post #13 of 14 (3538 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Pernel] cuadras vs manzanas

Can't Post |

There is no confusion about this. Manzana is the square, and cuadra is just one of the four sides of the square. You can measure the distance in cuadras, and that mean every one side of a square you need to walk to get from point a to point b. Manzanas and jefe the manzana is still a valid unitiy, as long as there is a square, and it is still a unity, an important one, as far as neighborhoodness goes.
Saludos.

Guest elyisus@yahoo.com

Dec 15, 2003, 6:57 PM

Post #14 of 14 (3653 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Esperanza] cuadras vs manzanas

Can't Post |

Oh no, they are never used interchangeably, sorry to correct you. They mean a diferent thing. In easy terms manzana is the square and cuadra is just one and each side of the square. In other words, if you want to "darle la vuelta a la manzana" you have to walk each and every of its four cuadras. That should not be confusing if my explanation is not.
saludos.