Rocket Spanish Community

In English I make a distinction between these two. The first one is a request without having prior agreement. I would say "Let's go" to someone (or a group of people) when I am encouraging them to do something or to go somewhere with me. It could either mean with me (or me plus others) as in "Let's go have a beer" and "Let's go to the market".

OR sometimes I use it in a completely different way when I am trying to convey a sense of urgency as in "Come on kids pick up your toys, let's go!!".

The second one is more like a done deal rather than a request. It isn't something I would usually say to the person (or group) I am already going with because it would be restating the obvious. I might say, "We are still going, right?" if I was looking for confirmation but I wouldn't normally say it as a statement. If I was going to do something with John (or John plus others), I might tell Bob "We are going..." meaning "John (and the group) and I are going...."

So, is there something analogous to each of these in Spanish or is this a subtlety that is lost by have a single word "vamos" to represent all these flavors?

This is great; I think your Spanish is coming along nicely... "Vamos is the exact word that pops into my head... you can use it just like the English "lets go". Depending on the urgency or emphasis you put on the word it can be a request or a command...

I often tell my kids to pick up the toys and usually they very slowly start doing so.. if I want it done quick I would say "¡Vamos! no tengo todo el día”. lol (lets go! I don't have all day.) This is a great phrase, you should remember it, it can be used for many occasions.

Regards,

Mauricio.

Gracias Mauricio...

I often see you respond to questions by explaining that "it depends on the context or the emphasis used". In English I obviously do that without thinking. In Spanish, I am "thinking" so much I often "don't have time" to catch the stuff that is not actually said.

So to continue on the "vamos" thread, I also get surprised somtimes when I hear "todos" used together with "vamos" because it never seems consistent. Some people do and some don't. Again, it may be another one of those "in context" things or maybe its just a personal preference?

In English, I usually just say "We are going" because I expect the other person to understand that "we" means there are others (not just me). I don't usually say "We are all going". Is this the same thing in Spanish or is there more to it?

Hello Tocayo,

Remember that "Todos" does not only mean "all" but it can also mean "everyone".

I guess in English it would be more like "everyone is going", "todos vamos" or "vamos todos"(makes no difference).

You could say "Nosotros vamos", meaning myself and the others, but is not quite as specific as "todos" when you hear “todos” it means every single person that is involved.

Regards,

Mauricio.

Muchas gracias!! Yo comprendo ahora!! Por fin