Today's
WOTD is: "cuento" = story
1.
In Spanish, “cuento”
is a masculine noun of Latin origin, the main meaning of which is
story/
tale,
as in:
- El cuento de Caperucita Roja (the story/tale of Little Red Riding Hood);
- El cuento de Blancanieves (the story/tale of Snow White);
2. The noun “cuento”
is also used often to refer to a sham or a lie, as in:
- Déjate de cuentos y dime la verdad (go straight to the point and tell me the truth);
3. A related word is the
action word/ verb “contar”. This verb is often used in
different contexts as follows:
- Meaning to count, as in:
- Hay que contar hasta diez, ¿no? (a count to ten is needed, isn't it);
- Meaning to tell/ to narrate/ to relate, as in:
- De pequeño, siempre me contaban un cuento* antes de dormir (as a child, I was always told a story/ tale before going to sleep);
- Followed by “con”, meaning to have, as in:
- El apartamento cuento con tres dormitorios (the apartment has three bedrooms);
- Contamos con fondos suficientes para el viaje (we have sufficient funds for the trip);
- Followed by “con”, meaning to count on, as in:
- No cuentes con Pedro (don't count on Pedro);
*NB
Please note that the word “cuenta”
is very similar to “cuento”,
but has a very different meaning (bill/
account)
-see more details about “cuenta”.
4.
Some expressions in Spanish with the word “cuento”
are:
- Colorín
colorado, este cuento se ha acabado* (that's
all folks);
- Cuéntame un cuento (tell me a story);
- Cuento chino (a lie/ a fib/ a sham);
- Que no vienes porque tienes mucho que hacer es un cuento chino (that you are not coming because you have lots of things to do is a fib/ I don't believe it);
- Cuento de hadas (fairy tale);
- El cuento de nunca acabar (a never ending story);
- Hoy seguimos igual que ayer, esto es el cuento de nunca acabar (today we are the same as yesterday, this is a never ending story);
- Cuento de viejas (old wives' tales);
- Cuento infantil (children's tale/ story);
- Dejarse de cuentos (to go straight to the point);
- Déjate de cuentos y dime la verdad (go straight to the point and tell me the truth);
- El mismo cuento de siempre (the same old story);
- Eso es como el cuento de la lechera (that is like counting your chickens before they hatch/ that is wishful thinking);
- Luego te** cuento (I'll tell you later);
- Mañana te** cuento (I'll tell you tomorrow);
- Puro cuento (complete myth);
- Que no vienes porque tienes mucho que hacer es puro cuento (that you are not coming because you have lots of things to do is a fib/ I don't believe it);
- Te cuento que (let me tell you);
- Te cuento que te veo muy bien (let me tell you that you look great);
- Tener mas cuento que Calleja (to have the gift of the gab -mainly Spain);
- Pedro tiene más cuento que Calleja (Pedro has the gift of the gab);
- Tener mas cuento que siete viejas (to have the gift of the gab);
- Pedro tiene más cuento que siete viejas (Pedro has the gift of the gab);
- Viene a cuento algo (something is relevant/ is proper to mention);
- Viene a cuento que cuando el accidente ocurrió era de noche (it is proper to mention that it was night time when the accident occurred);
- No viene a cuento que cuando el accidente ocurrió era de noche (it is not relevant that it was night time when the accident occurred);
- Vivir del cuento (to live on one's wit's);
*NB Traditional ending to
children's stories/ tales.
**NB
You can replace “te”
with “le”,
“os”
or “les”
to alter the meaning accordingly.
Love-Spanish.com
loves the word "cuento" in the YouTube clip: SergioContreras - Princesa de mi cuento
*NB
'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “cuento”
in the link to hear the word pronounced.
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