a breath of autumn air 🍁

Kiana Khansmith
Claire Keane

Love Begins
hello vonnie
Xuebing Du
Misplaced Lens Cap
we're not kids anymore.

shark vs the universe

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Monterey Bay Aquarium
trying on a metaphor
Cosmic Funnies
Cosimo Galluzzi
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
One Nice Bug Per Day
cherry valley forever

★
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Aqua Utopia|海の底で記憶を紡ぐ

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@tiffanygranted
a breath of autumn air 🍁
romanticising student life
PASTEL BEIGE AESTHETIC.
me: the window full of books is a fire hazard
also me: i want
I put a spell on you
Romantic Spanish Vocabulary
novia – girlfriend, fiancé novio – boyfriend, fiancé amante – lover buen mozo – handsome hembrota – hotty {female animal} caliente – hot linda – pretty guapa – cute, handsome sinvergüenza – shameless hacerse amor – to make love culo – butt neglas – butt cuerpo – body bulto – package tetas – boobs arrecho – horny pompis – ass coqueta – flirt zorra – whore {fox} puta– bitch caballero – gentlemen tipo zanahorio – respectful {carrot guy} mujeriego – womanizer avión – aggressive {airplane} perro – player, dog vagabundo – player {hobo} echarse – to dump someone
Queer Vocab [Some context needed!] gatito – kitten, younger boyfriend un Simba – a grown “kitten” hembrito – gay partner {masculized hembra} de ambiente – gay {cheerful, partier} camajo – gay lover mariposo – gay {masculized butterfly} roscón – gay {donut} voltiado – gay {turned over} marimacho – lesbian arepera(Columbia) – lesbian {corncake-baker} tortillera(Mexico) – lesbian {corncake-baker} cachapera(Venezuela) – lesbian {corncake-baker} jugar a los dos bandos – to be bisexual {to play on both teams} ser de doble tracción – bisexual; to be of double traction
Pet Names cariño – honey, darling mi vida – my life mi amor – my love mi cielo – my sky mami/papi – honey {mommy/daddy} gorda/gordo – fatty {apparently common and innocent}
Vulgar Regionalisms for Doing the Sex {To Fuck} chingar – Mexico coger – Argentina, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela comer – Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela culear – Colombia {to move the butt} tirar – Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela follar – Spain joder – Spain
Regionalisms for Naked chulón – Central America empeloto – Colombia chingo – Costa Rica bichi – Mexico calato – Peru en pelotas – Spain
STDs prueba de venéreas – STD test enfermedad venérea – venereal disease gonorrea – gonorrhea herpes – herpes sida – AIDS sífilis – syphilis
Safe Sex la píldora – the pill el aparato/ la “T” – IUD espuma – spermicide el diafragma – diaphragm condones – condoms forros- condoms capuchas – condoms impermeables - condoms mangas – condoms
Phrases “comprar ropa interior erótica” – to buy sexy underwear “encantar ver películas porno” – to love watching pornos “gustarse los tríos” – to love threesomes “pegarse una trepadora” – to give someone VD {to pay one a climbing plant} “mandarse a freír espárragos” – to break it off {to order one to go fry asparagus} “ponerse los cuernos” – to fool around on someone {to put the [cuckold’s] horns on someone}
50 adjetivos en español
For this list I was going for things that are more everyday but also more advanced; very helpful if you’re studying Spanish and having to write essays or papers in Spanish, things that can help bump up your vocab when expressing yourself
inmundo/a = filthy, extremely dirty
conmovedor(a) = poignant, moving
llamativo/a = flashy, gaudy / something that calls attention, eye-catching
terco/a = stubborn
aplastante = crushing / overwhelming
famélico/a = starving, emaciated
difunto/a = deceased, dead, defunct el difunto, la difunta = deceased person, “late”
rebelde = rebellious, unruly
caprichoso/a = fickle, capricious / whimsical
sigiloso/a = stealthy
temerario/a = reckless, hasty
insoportable = unbearable
milagroso/a = miraculous
digno/a = worthy, deserving
vivaz = lively, vibrant, vivacious
afilado/a = sharp, cutting agudo/a = sharp
sangriento/a = bloody, gory / bloodthirsty, violent
distraído/a = distracted / absent-minded, scatterbrained
hundido/a = sunken / deep-set / “swamped” [when someone is overwhelmed by work/emotions, you can use hundir(se) the verb “to sink” or hundido/a “sunk” / “sunken”]
creciente = growing, increasing / crescent (moon)
servicial = helpful (person/personality) útil = useful, helpful
comprensible = understandable, comprehensible
rebosante = overflowing / exuberant
sagaz = wise, sagacious
erróneo/a = incorrect, inaccurate, wrong, erroneous
atestado/a = crowded
corriente = commonplace, average, typical
recóndito/a = remote, out of the way, distant
áspero/a = harsh, rugged, rough, abrasive
emocionante = exciting, thrilling
egoísta = selfish
atrevido/a = daring, bold
poderoso/a = powerful, mighty todopoderoso/a = all-powerful, almighty
arrugado/a = wrinkled, wrinkly / crumpled, creased
súbito/a = sudden repentino/a = sudden
asqueroso/a = disgusting, gross
insólito/a = unheard of, remarkable, uncanny
exitoso/a = successful
venidero/a = coming, upcoming, approaching próximo/a = next, upcoming
arduo/a = difficult, arduous, strenuous
sensato/a = wise, sensible, having common sense insensato/a = foolish, stupid, unwise
manso/a = tame, docile
singular = singular / unique, quaint, peculiar / exceptional
pasmado/a = shocked, bewildered
aturdido/a = stunned, dazed
fundido/a = melted / molten / “burnt out” (lights or fuses)
ensimismado/a = lost in thought, daydreaming
gruñón, gruñona = grumpy, cranky, bad-tempered [said of people: “a grump” or “a curmudgeon”]
célebre = famous, well-known, illustrious
arrepentido/a = repentant, sorry, remorseful, apologetic [in religious contexts could be “penitent”, or in legal contexts “reformed” when said of criminals]
Every so often learning a foreign language will unlock some bits of knowledge you might not have known otherwise.
For example: If you’re an English-speaker you might not realize that cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, rutabaga and a few other vegetables are actually related in terms of the plant genus Brassica - a genus where you have plants that are related to mustard and cabbage
Now, I don’t claim to be a plant scientist but there was an interesting pattern that I noticed in Spanish when I was learning vegetables - a pattern that I believe also exists in other European languages
You’re probably going to want to image search as we go along because you’ll see the thought patterns here
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In Spanish, there are two words for “cabbage”, el repollo …and la col
It’s la col that’s the root word you’ll see throughout these words
(Unrelated note, every time I see el repollo I chuckle a bit because my brain is like “ah yes very-chicken”, don’t be like me)
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Even in English you can kind of see the connection here, assuming you know the root word col.
It’s the same root for el brocóli “broccoli”, la coliflor “cauliflower” [like a “cabbage flower”], el colirrábano “kohlrabi”, etc
Where it might get a little murkier is the other words that are very distinct in English, but make a lot of sense in Spanish
First, “kale” - in Spanish you typically see this as la col rizada or el repollo rizado… literally this is “curly cabbage” where rizado/a often means “curly” or “wavy”… and if you’ve come across this word before, it’s often in the context of hair; there’s another word la berza which sometimes applies to “kale” but I’ll talk about that later
Second, “Brussels sprouts” are very simply las coles de Bruselas literally “cabbages from Brussels”… sometimes los repollos/repollitos de Bruselas
Next you have two interesting ones el colirrábano for “kohlrabi” and there are a few words for “rutabaga” but I’m most aware of la naba or el nabicol or el colinabo.
These are interesting because if you know the other vegetables in Spanish you’ll understand what they mean, or at least the thought pattern. Spanish (and all languages I’ve studied honestly) has a tendency to name things after other things they know… like “this thing looks like this other thing I know of”. In English think “pineapple” which is like “it’s a fruit but it looks like a pinecone” kind of thought; in French pomme de terre is “potato” but literally “apple [or “apple-shaped”] of the earth”; Italian has my personal favorite pomodoro for “tomato” which is “golden apple”
So, el colirrábano is made up of la col “cabbage” and el rábano “radish”… so it comes out like “raddish-shaped cabbage”. For “rutabaga”, el nabo is a “turnip” so el nabicol or el colinabo comes out like “turnip-shaped cabbage”
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As for la berza it is sometimes used for “kale” or “collard greens”… you can probably see the etymology there with “collard”, but “kale” is also connected to that same col- root word
la berza is thought to be a kind of evolution of virdia or viridis in Latin meaning “green”… so like verde
Thus, “kale” or “collard greens” are sometimes la berza which is like “greens”
But if we’re talking purely linguistics it comes out like “cabbage” and “cabbage greens”
Or in Spanish you might see la col rizada “kale” [again, “curly cabbage”] and la col berza [something like “deep green cabbage”]
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And anyway this is why I can’t be trusted in a supermarket because I go on an etymology journey in the vegetable section thanks for coming to my tedtalk
la col = cabbage el repollo = cabbage
el brocóli = broccoli
la coliflor = cauliflower
el colirrábano = kohlrabi
la col / las coles de Bruselas = Brussels sprouts el repollito / los repollitos de Bruselas = Brussels sprouts
la col rizada el repollo rizado = kale
la berza = collard greens la col berza = collard greens
el nabo = turnip
la naba = rutabaga el nabicol / el colinabo = rutabaga
el rábano = radish
50 nouns in Spanish
I tried to narrow these down to nouns you might find useful in everyday life to beef up your vocab
el calvario = an ordeal, agony / an arduous task that one must undertake, “one’s cross to bear” [lit. “Calvary”, referring to the place Jesus was crucified; in Spanish el calvario is interpreted as “stations of the cross” or the reenactments of the Passion of Christ… but in common Spanish, el calvario is used as “a task that is pretty much torture” or something that someone feels they must do… “a cross to bear” in the same etymology]
el bullicio = hustle and bustle, busy activity / noise (from a lot of people or chatter), ruckus
el deseo = desire / wish pedir un deseo = to make a wish [lit. “to request a wish/desire”]
el consejo = council (a group of people) / counsel, advice [also used in the context of “legal council”]
el logro = achievement, accomplishment
el blanco = target [as opposed to blanco/a being “white”, or “white people”]
el susto = a fright, a scare, a shock dar un susto = to surprise, to shock someone, “to make someone jump” or “to give someone a scare”
la racha = a gust / a good or bad period la buena racha = “lucky streak”, string of good luck la mala racha = “unlucky streak”, string of bad luck (estar) en racha = “(to be) on a roll”, “(to be) in the zone”
el renacimiento = rebirth, revival [sometimes understood as a “golden age” often for science or literature as a kind of boom, or it means the “revitalization” or “reawakening” of certain trends, ideas/ideals, fields of study, fashions, or literature that had been out of fashion or not as prominent previously] el Renacimiento = Renaissance
la quimera = chimera (fantasy) / a fantasy, a dream with no basis in reality, a pipe dream
la prueba = test, quiz / evidence, proof
la hacienda = plantation, plantation house / estate / property, estate la Hacienda = the IRS, tax office
el peligro = danger, risk el riesgo = risk
el legado = legacy / inheritance, something bequeathed
el antojo = whim, whimsy / craving, desire [I have also sometimes seen antojo used as “snack” or “appetizer” in some menus, also sometimes as antojitos]
la gestión = management, administration / process, “paperwork”
el alambre = wire, cable el alambre de púas = barbed wire [lit. “wire of spikes/barbs”]
el faro = lighthouse [sometimes euphemistically el faro is used as a “beacon” or “guiding light”]
el parecer = opinion el cambio de parecer = “a change of heart” [could also be cambio de opinión]
el zumbido = buzz, hum, droning sound
el cometido = task, mission, mission statement
la pata = leg / paw (animal, usually but not always) meter la pata = “to mess up”, “to step in it”
la punzada = sharp pain, a jabbing pain / “twinge”, “pang”, sharp negative feeling la punzada de culpa = “twinge of guilt”
la época = time period, age, epoch, “period” (a default word for a specific time period, often used in the contexts of history and literary movements) la época medieval = the Medieval period la época colonial = the colonial period la época precolombina = the pre-Columbian period (the time period before Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas; used in Latin America to mean before the indigenous people had contact with Europe)
el santuario = sanctuary, shrine / refuge, sanctuary
el vaivén = “ups and down” (literally and figuratively) / something that fluctuates / a swaying motion, a rocking motion (often the ocean)
el obsequio = gift or present (but fancy) / tribute
el conjunto = group, grouping, combination
el vínculo = bond, tie, link
el peso = weight [physical and emotional, may also be understood as “burden”… and in some situations, the peso is a unit of currency]
la prenda = garment, article of clothing
el hito = milestone, important event
la fiera = beast, wild animal / fiend
el ejemplar = the original, prototype, model / copy (of a book or magazine) ejemplar = exemplary
el hueco = an empty spot, a gap / “an opening” (in one’s schedule, or a “job opening”) hueco/a = hollow, empty
el bálsamo = balsam / a balm, something that soothes or eases pain or discomfort
el don = a gift, a blessing el don de gentes = “good people skills”, social graces, social butterfly el don de (la) palabra = “gift of gab”, “good with one’s words”, eloquent [usually used with tener “to have”]
la potencia = power, potency, strength / power (in physics) / a superpower (in politics or global power)
la ficha = chip, token, tile, game piece / index card, ticket, certificate / token [any kind of game piece, domino, checker, casino chip, tile, etc etc etc is a ficha (especially in gambling) or la pieza “piece” (particularly in chess or games with unique pieces)]
el olvido = oblivion, obscurity
el patrón = pattern [also, el patrón or la patrona is “patron” or “sponsor”… sometimes it’s “boss” or generally the person in charge]
el género = gender / genre (of literature/tv) / genus, type
el argumento = reasoning, argument [in someone’s thinking, not a loud “argument” usually] / plot, plotline, storyline, premise
el engaño = deceit, a trick
el horizonte = horizon / skyline, view of the city / limits, boundary [also means “horizon” the same way English uses it like hay nubes en el horizonte “there are clouds on the horizon” to mean something ominous coming]
el descuido = a mistake or slip-up, oversight, neglect, carelessness
el adefesio = something extremely hideous or unsightly, an eyesore
la moda = fashion, style estar de moda = to be in fashion, to be fashionable (estar) pasado/a de moda, (estar) fuera de moda = to be out of style, to be out of fashion, to be unfashionable
el matiz = nuance / shade, hue (of colors)
el plazo = time period a corto plazo = short-term a largo plazo = long-term
Most people know that adiós is the Spanish word for bye, but…
did you know that it’s not very common to hear in Spanish speaking countries? In fact, adiós implies that you may be parting ways forever. Here’s a list of more common ways of saying bye:
¡Nos vemos! = See you! Common in all Spanish speaking countries.
¡Hasta luego! = See you later! Common in all Spanish speaking countries.
¡Bai! = Bye! Common in Mexico in informal settings.
¡Chau! = Ciao! Common in Argentina and Uruguay in informal settings.
¡Cuídate! = Take care! Common in Chile in informal settings.
Me saludas a tu mamá. = Say hi to your mother for me. Common in closer relationships.
It should be noted that all of these phrases are well understood in all Spanish speaking countries and are used to some extent.
prompt: 9th and 10th July - do you usually go on vacation during the summer? what is the best vacation you have ever been on?
no, i usually don’t go on vacations during summer! i grew up in wintery russia so vacations usually happen around those months to escape the cold.
i cannot pick one, they all have different vibes,… but here is my friend showing off the pun-y poscard from my recent one. sending postcards is an essential part of traveling for me, here is hoping i get to send more soon.
How to practice listening in a foreign language
Hi! Listening is a tough skill to improve, but I’ve found myself gradually improving as time has gone on, so I thought I would try to offer some advice to anybody who needs it. I think the key to improving your listening is increasing your vocabulary, and practice. I’m basing this mostly on my French (B2) and Spanish (A2/B1) studies.
Figure out what you should listen to! It is important to listen to something that is at your level. For complete beginners, just focus on your textbook exercises and beginners podcasts like Innovative Languages, LingQ and Coffee Break Languages (I highly recommend these by the way). For less difficult languages like French and Spanish (or whatever is close to the languages you speak), you might want to try watching a few Easy Languages videos, since they use topic specific vocabulary. I don’t really recommend this for languages that are very different from the languages you speak though, since it might just be confusing. For upper beginners, you can focus on watching short YouTube videos on topics that interest you (for example in Spanish, I watch a lot of YouTube videos about language learning). You can also try listening to learners podcasts. There are also a lot of YouTube videos out there made for learners that are only in your target language for beginners, like the Innovative Languages YouTube accounts. Just look up “[Target language] beginners listening practice” and something will probably come up. You could also watch children’s shows because of the simplistic language. For intermediate learners, it might be time to start properly dipping your toes into native material. TV shows, podcasts and films are good, but if you don’t like them, then there is a wealth of listening resources to be found on YouTube. Make sure to avoid anything that uses jargon or outdated language, like historical dramas and videos about science. The radios and comedy skits are great for learning informal language (e.g. Cyprien for French). For lower intermediate learners, I would recommend to also focus most of your attention on intermediate podcasts (e.g. For French: InnerFrench and Piece Of French are really good). You should be able to understand about half of it, and as you continue learning French this will increase. I’d say you are at an upper intermediate level once you can understand pretty much everything that is said in these podcasts and videos, and can also understand a fair amount of native material. For advanced learners, historical dramas and university lectures might be good for this. You might also want to look into content for more difficult dialects (unless you are only focusing on one). Just listen to anything and everything that challenges you, and you will start to improve over time. Across all levels, song lyrics are good too!
Read and listen at the same time! Audiobooks and subtitles are the best for this. Make sure you are actually listening instead of just reading. This improves both your listening and your reading skills!
Dictate what you are listening to! Try to write down everything that has been said word for word, and make sure you get the grammar correct too. Once you have finished, compare it to the actual transcription or subtitles and make corrections. Maybe memorise any new vocabulary, and review any grammar points you got wrong.
Shadow! This basically means repeat what is said after it is said. This improves listening AND pronunciation!
Research how pronunciation changes! When I say this, I basically mean explore how pronunciation changes in the spoken version of a language when compared to the proper version of the language. Read articles with examples on informal and spoken language, and the way syllables will meld together or be shortened. You might want to memorise the most common slang too. Also, for languages with complex politeness levels like Japanese, research that too. Make sure you look out for these in whatever you are listening to, and make sure you listen widely in both informal and formal versions of your target language.
When you learn topic specific vocabulary, listen to content made about that topic! If you learn vocabulary related to the beach, then watch a beach movie. If you learn vocabulary about furniture, watch those DIY videos on YouTube. Learn topic specific vocabulary, and then put it into practice! You will find a wealth of vocabulary resources on this site alone. At first, learn the most important topics, then gradually expand to more niche ones when you become more advanced.
Listen without any help at first! For me, I will get a short YouTube video and listen to it without any help. Then, I will watch it again with subtitles (in my target language), and will pause to turn any unknown words into flashcards. I will go through those flashcards and memorise them. Finally, I will listen to the video again, and again, until I can catch and understand every word. This takes time, but it gets good results.
Summarize what you just listened to! I would suggest doing this before looking at a transcription or subtitles. Try listening to audio and write a quick summary of what you were told, and then look at the transcription to see how accurate you were.
Replay the audio until you can understand everything! This is especially important for upper intermediate learners, because their goal is to understand everything. If you don’t know a word, then memorise it, and listen again! As time goes on, you will be able to understand everything better.
Adjust the speed of the audio! For beginners and lower intermediate learners, you can make it slower in order to understand it better. For upper intermediate and advanced learners, I recommend speeding it up. The faster it is, the easier you will later find normal native speed.
Just keep listening to your target language! The sounds of a language is something that takes a long time to get used to. You just need to keep on listening, and keep on practicing, and eventually you will start to improve. Listen to your target language whenever you have free time, and over time it will start to pay off. You’ll find that the speed that used to intimidate you will just sound normal, and as your vocabulary increases, so will your listening ability.
Thanks for reading this post! I hope it was useful!
𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 ☕️
ive been to a lot of protests in my life and a thing that a lot of people dont understand is that a protest is a threat. its a large group of people saying “we are being nice now, but you must understand that if we stop being nice we have the power to cause you Problems”.
so everyone saying that protests have to be more polite or follow accepted rules is missing the entire point. the point of a protest is not to say “we disagree with you”, they already know that. the point of a protest is to make it clear that if they continue to do things you disagree with, you will burn down their house.
now this wont stop them because theyre stupid and arrogant and believe themselves to be beyond consequence. so here’s the really important thing and that’s that after they do it anyway, you have to burn down their house