Viajamos por la mente? Do we travel through the mind? 5 minutes of Spanish (English version) + Podcast

 

Mente y pensamientos

How are you? Good morning, good afternoon or good evening depending on where you are or what time you are listening to us.

 

Welcome to this Spanish podcast, number 211, what is the topic for this Wednesday?

Today we are going to take a trip back in time to discover the origin of the word “mind” and how it is related to other terms we use every day.

Oops we are going to that mysterious mind, what is the origin of the word mind? Normally we refer to some word or verb but talking about the mind, isn't it a bit philosophical?

No, let's look at it from the language point of view.

The word "mind" comes from the Latin "mens, mentis," which means "mind" or "thought." Thus, it has long been related to the ability to think, imagine, and reason.

But in Spanish we hear mente many times, for example, we talk about mentalidad What is the difference between mente and mentalidad?

When we talk about “mentalidad,” we refer to the way a person thinks or sees the world. If someone has a “positive mentality,” he or she is someone who sees the world from the good side of things.

 

And, of course, “mentality” also comes from the Latin “mens”!

 

Juan tiene una mentalidad positiva. Siempre ve lo bueno en cada situación.

Juan has a positive mindset. He always sees the good in every situation ¿Y los mentalistas?

Now, let's talk about “mentalists.” No, we're not talking about magicians with special powers, or a TV show, but people who use their minds to impress others. The word “mentalist” is also related to “mind” because it has to do with using the power of thought.

El mentalista adivinó la carta que estaba pensando.

The mentalist guessed the card I was thinking of.

Un mentalista

Mentir y mentiroso: ¡Ojo con esto!

Lying and liar: Watch out for this!

Here comes something curious: “lie” and “liar” are also related to “mind.”  A “liar” is someone who tells lies. It is as if they are using their mind to create a false reality.

No debes mentir; es importante ser honesto.

You should not lie; it's important to be honest.

Un mentiroso siempre tiene que recordar sus mentiras.

A liar always has to remember their lies. Pero…escuchamos mucho el sonido mente cuando hablamos español, ¿por qué?

Many adverbs are formed with the ending -mente.

“ such as “evidently,” “casually,” and “traditionally.” Did you know that they are all related to “mind”?

How?

Easy: these adverbs are formed by adding “-mente” to an adjective. That “-mente” ending comes from the word “mente,” which suggests that the action is performed “in a mental way” or “with thought.”

Rápido- rápidamente Fast - quickly  

Lento- lentamente  Slowly- slowly

Tranquilo- tranquilamente   Calmly - quietly

Cordial- cordialmente     Cordial- cordially

 

Evidentemente, este guía es la mejor para conocer profundamente Oaxaca

Obviously, this guide is the best option to get to know Oaxaca in depth.

Tradicionalmente, celebramos la Navidad en familia.
Traditionally, we celebrate Christmas with family.

How interesting is our mind!

As we have seen, many Spanish words we use every day have something in common: mente.

Whether talking about mentality, lying, or using adverbs like “evidentemente,” all of these words have a little piece of “mente” in them.

So, the next time you use carefully or easily remember that your mind is subtly working to make this expression possible.

Thanks for making it this far into the podcast.

Thanks for sharing and you know, if you definitely want to improve your Spanish, join SpanishUp2U our Spanish Friends Club.

See you next Wednesday with another linguistic and cultural exploration.

See you soon

Bye, bye

Click here for more info