Noche Buena #3

We've been discussing a SpanishPod conversation that takes place between a Cuban-American couple in Miami on their way to pick up food and supplies for a Christmas Eve party. So far we've covered:

Ya son las 11 de la mañana, ¡ya nos cogió tarde!
It's already 11; we're running late.

Sí, nos confiamos, suerte que Okeechobee está ahí mismo. Vamos, nos tomamos una colada por el camino. 
Yes, we got overconfident, we're lucky that Okeechobee is right over there. Let's go - we can drink a colada on the way.

Today I'll analyze the next few sentences:

Tremenda cola debe de haber, todos los años es lo mismo para la Noche Buena. Pero esta vez sin excesos, sólo un puerco de 60 libras, con la canasta de yuca y plátano para los tostones, ¿ok? ¡Que te conozco! 
There will be a long line; every year it's the same thing on Christmas Eve. But this time, let's not over do it, with only one 60 pounds of pork and a basket of yucca and plantains for the tostones. Ok? I know how you are.

Tremendo generally means tremendous, very large, excessive, or even terrible. But in this case it's an adjective describing a long line at the store on Christmas Eve.

The deber de haber construct is an expression of supposition or probabability of the existence of something. e.g. Deben (de) haber salido (note that the de is optional): They must have gone out. In this case debe de haber means there must be (a long line).

...todos los años es lo mismo para la Noche Buena: Note the preposition para. It's difficult for new students of the Spanish language to choose the correct words to use before nouns or pronouns to form phrases that modify verbs, nouns, or adjectives in order to express spatial or temporal relationships. There's no way to internalize these decisions other than to pay close attention to prepositions during your studies and to practice, create self-tests, ask your professor, memorize, and repeat.

Pero esta vez sin excesos...But this time, let's not over do it. Literally, this means this time without excess. This is easy to comprehend when heard or read, but it's not the way Americans generally speak, so a new student of Spanish wouldn't tend to use this phrasing. However, if you want to eventually speak excellent Spanish, it's important to study and learn to imitate examples like this. It requires good judgment but again, practice makes perfect.

...sólo un puerco de 60 libras, con la canasta de yuca y plátano para los tostones... Bueno, here we have a sentence fragment that even experienced students of the language would find a bit unusual, due to the vocabulary, which refers specifically to Cuban food and customs. The wife is telling her husband to pick up only what they need for the fiesta: It's customary to roast a pig, and to prepare yucca (a root; cassava, I believe), and tostones (a dish made with fried plantains).

¡Que te conozco! I know how you are. 

Conocer means to know (a person or place):
¿Conoces a Juan? Do you know/have you met Juan?
Lo conozco de nombre. I know the name.
¿Conoces Irlanda? Do you know Ireland? or Have you been to Ireland?

The wife is referring to her husband's tendency to buy too much for the fiesta. That I know you! This is another unusual construction that just requires some getting used to. Again, you will quickly learn to understand it when you hear it; it takes a bit longer to use it appropriately when speaking or writing.

By the way, SpanishPod.com is an excellent resource. You can get newbie lessons all the way through advanced lessions delivered to your iPod, and the online resources and discussions are excellent.

James

conocer
deber
tremenda
La noche buena de los cubanos