In our most recent post, we were 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.
The next sentence we'll go over is:
Ojalá y nos alcance la comida, siempre me parece poco.
Literally: I hope and for us achieve the food, always to me it seems little.
I hope it's enough food - I always feel like there's not enough.
This is one of those culturally-influenced sentences that you will learn to understand when you hear it before you will be able to speak it like a true hispanoparlante. The word ojalá is of Arabic origin: law šá lláh means if God wants. For practical purposes, it translates to I wish, or, as in this example to I hope. The word alcanzar is used frequently in Spanish. It means to achieve or to reach. In this case, it means "I hope the food makes it," or "I hope the food lasts," sort of a wish that the food lasts until everyone's hunger is satisfied. Parecer means to seem.
alcanzar
to achieve, to reach (as in a goal, a milestone, or a place), to catch up with homework or studies.
From Oxford Language Dictionaries:
Synonyms: pillar, agarrar.
A este paso no los vamos a alcanzar nunca.
At this rate we'll never catch up with them. Note that the use of double negatives is correct Spanish grammar.
¡A que no me alcanzas!
Bet you can't catch me!
Empecé después que tú y ya te alcancé.
I started after you and I've caught up with you already. Note the past tense of empezar and alcanzar.
¡Qué alto está! Cualquier día alcanzará a su hermano.
Look how tall he's getting! He'll be catching up with his brother soon! Note the future tense of alcanzar and the personal a before hermano.
Los bomberos habían logrado alcanzar el segundo piso. Note the use of lograr, to achieve.
The firemen had managed to reach the second floor.
A propósito, he encontrado algo interesante acerca de la etymología de la palabra "alcanzar": El verbo alcanzar - hay variantes primitivas acalçar y alcalçar - tiene como étimo la voz latina calx, calcis talón. De un sentido inicial de ir tras sus talones se pasaría a perseguir, alcanzar, llegar hasta algo. Es muy común también la expresión dar alcance a. La raíz latina calx, calcis ha sido muy productiva en derivados: calcar, recalcar, coz, calzar, calcáneo, calzón, etc. Los cambios del verbo desde el primitivo acalçar hasta alcanzar no están del todo explicados: se habla de metátesis de consonantes y hasta de influjo árabe por el al- inicial. Las distintas hipótesis están recogidas por Corominas. La voz existe también en portugués: alcançar. - Pedro Menoyo Bárcena
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.
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.
Está bien, seremos 15 para comer, ya Pucha puso los frijoles a ablandar para el congrí.
It'll be fine, there will be 15 of us for dinner. Plus, Pucha already put the beans on the stove for the congri.
¡¿Tan temprano?!
So early?
Sí, acuérdate que hay que tenerlo casi listo para rellenar el puerco y asarlo todo junto. Ojalá y nos alcance la comida, siempre me parece poco.
Yes, remember that we need to have everything ready to stuff and roast the pork. I hope it's enough food - I always feel like there's not enough.
Ojalá y nos alcance la comida, siempre me parece poco.
Literally: I hope and for us achieve the food, always to me it seems little.
I hope it's enough food - I always feel like there's not enough.
