Language through Literature

One sentence of «Las medias de los flamencos»


Sentence 14 of 83 · Las medias de los flamencos, Horacio Quiroga, 1918

Sólo los flamencos, que entonces tenían las patas blancas, y tienen ahora como antes la nariz muy gruesa y torcida, sólo los flamencos estaban tristes, porque como tienen muy poca inteligencia, no habían sabido cómo adornarse.

Only the flamingos, who in those days had white legs, and have now as they had then a very thick, crooked nose — only the flamingos were sad, because as they have very little intelligence, they had not known how to adorn themselves.

Every word in it

As printedDictionary formMeaning
Sólo sóloonly (adv.)
los elthe (masculine)
flamencos flamencoflamingo (n., m.)
que quethat, which, who; than (conj./rel. pron.)
entonces entoncesthen, at that time (adv.)
tenían tenerto have; tener que — to have to (v.)
patas patapaw, leg of an animal (n., f.)
blancas blancowhite (adj.)
y yand (conj.)
ahora ahoranow (adv.)
como comoas, like; since (conj./adv.)
antes antesbefore, earlier (adv.)
nariz nariznose (n., f.)
muy muyvery (adv.)
gruesa gruesothick, stout (adj.)
torcida torcidotwisted, crooked (adj.)
estaban estarto be — where a thing is, or how it is right now, against ser, what it is (v.)
tristes tristesad (adj.)
porque porquebecause (conj.)
poca pocolittle, few; un poco — a little (adj./adv.)
inteligencia inteligenciaintelligence (n., f.)
no nono, not (adv.)
habían haberto have (auxiliary); hay — there is, there are (v.)
sabido saberto know (a fact); to know how to (v.)
cómo cómohow (interrog. adv.)
adornarse adornarto adorn, decorate (v.)

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Cuentos de la selva, all eight tales · Horacio Quiroga