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Maritsa

Nov 9, 2009, 3:29 PM

Post #1 of 9 (7969 views)

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pollo y repollo

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If "pollo" is "chicken", then is "repollo" "rechicken" ? Sorry, I got up at 3 AM drove a friend to Raleigh to get his passporte at the embassy, roundtrip 420 miles. Just feeling a little silly , and trying to ignore the fact that Timo is going back to Chiapas this Saturday. Had a yard sale and made $23, and then had to figure out what to do with all that stuff lying all over my yard! And still have to figure out how to fit all the good stuff in a Penske truck that I am taking to NJ next week. Wish I was going to Chiapas instead.

mevale

Nov 9, 2009, 8:57 PM

Post #2 of 9 (7943 views)

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Re: [Maritsa] pollo y repollo

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Deleted due to "cabeza repollo"

(This post was edited by willieboy on Nov 9, 2009, 9:00 PM)

Peter

Nov 10, 2009, 7:25 AM

Post #3 of 9 (7926 views)

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Re: [Maritsa] pollo y repollo

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If "pollo" is "chicken", then is "repollo" "rechicken" ?

Repollo: cabbage

mazbook1

Nov 10, 2009, 6:19 PM

Post #4 of 9 (7899 views)

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Re: [Maritsa] pollo y repollo

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That's funny, but it does illustrate a common English-speaker's misconception about the Spanish prefix "re-". What it DOESN'T mean is the English meaning of repetition or "again" OR the meaning "backward motion" such as redo, refurbish, etc. What it does in Spanish is to reinforce an action, the best common example is frijoles refritos. These are NOT re-fried beans, they are well-fried beans.

With that out of the way, I guess repollo should be some kind of super chicken! LOL But sadly, it's just common cabbage as others have said. ;-(

(This post was edited by mazbook1 on Nov 10, 2009, 6:20 PM)

La Isla

Nov 10, 2009, 9:20 PM

Post #5 of 9 (7887 views)

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Re: [mazbook1] pollo y repollo

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But sometimes in Spanish the prefix "re-" does mean to do something again. What about "reconquistar", "retransmitir", "repasar", "rehacer" and many more?

Thanks for the explanation of what "refrito" means. Since I´ve never cooked them, I always thought they were fried twice, making them especially fattening. Now that I know the truth, I can eat more of them without feeling guilty!

Maritsa

Nov 11, 2009, 3:45 AM

Post #6 of 9 (7882 views)

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Re: [Maritsa] pollo y repollo

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Sorry everybody. As I said I had driven all day and was feeling a little silly. It was supposed to be a joke, but thanks for the input.

A Mexican guy claims to know a lot of English. So his friend asks, "how do you say 'pollo' in English?" The Mexican replies, "chicken". His friend asks, "How do you say 'repollo?'" The Mexican thinks for a little while and says, "rechicken?"

As Gilda Radner used to say, "Never mind." :)

mevale

Nov 11, 2009, 8:04 AM

Post #7 of 9 (7865 views)

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Re: [La Isla] pollo y repollo

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Also the prefixes "re", "rete" and "requete" are used as intensifiers when attached to adjectives or adverbs.

Bueno - Good
Rebueno, Retebueno, Requetebueno - Really f*ing good

La Isla

Nov 11, 2009, 8:14 AM

Post #8 of 9 (7858 views)

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Re: [willieboy] pollo y repollo

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Re- is a mighty busy prefix in Spanish! This thread has brought me up to snuff on this "rete-esencial" element of the language.

mazbook1

Nov 11, 2009, 5:02 PM

Post #9 of 9 (7842 views)

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Re: [La Isla] pollo y repollo

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La Isla,

Of course you are correct (although some of the re- uses I hear locally in Mazatlán are obvious borrowings from English) you must be more careful in Spanish because it does in fact have two meanings and you can't just tack re, even with a hyphen, on any verb and expect it to mean the same as if you did it in English.

I had this pointed out to me several times in my early days of trying to use Spanish, so I probably was a little overboard in my "denunciation" of using it this way as there are, as you point out, a number of words where the re prefix really does mean the same as in English.

If you're worried about eating frijoles refritos, just buy the canned brand that says "sin grasa" in big letters on the label. They are actually pretty darn good!

(This post was edited by mazbook1 on Nov 11, 2009, 5:06 PM)