Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): A veces traduzco palabras de inglés a español en mi diario. - Sometimes I translate words from English to Spanish in my diary.

A veces traduzco palabras de inglés a español en mi diario.

Sometimes I translate words from English to Spanish in my diary.

Breakdown of A veces traduzco palabras de inglés a español en mi diario.

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Questions & Answers about A veces traduzco palabras de inglés a español en mi diario.

What does “A veces” literally mean, and does it always go at the beginning of the sentence?

“A veces” means “sometimes”. Literally, it’s closer to “at times” (from a = at, veces = times).

Position in the sentence is flexible:

Beginning (very common, neutral):
A veces traduzco palabras de inglés a español en mi diario.
→ Sometimes I translate words…
After the subject (if you say the subject):
Yo a veces traduzco palabras…
After the verb (also possible):
Tradu(z)co a veces palabras de inglés a español en mi diario.
End of the sentence (less common, but possible):
Tradu(z)co palabras de inglés a español en mi diario a veces.

All are grammatically correct. Starting with “A veces” is just the most natural and common way to say it.

Why is it “traduzco” and not “yo traduzco”? Where did the “I” go?

In Spanish, the verb ending already shows the subject, so the subject pronoun (yo, I) is usually dropped unless you want emphasis or contrast.

Traduzco = I translate
Traduces = you (tú) translate
Traduce = he/she/you (usted) translate(s)

So:

Traduzco palabras… = I translate words…
Yo traduzco palabras… = I translate words… (extra emphasis: not someone else)

In everyday speech, omitting “yo” is more natural:
A veces traduzco palabras… is the default, neutral version.

How is “traduzco” formed from “traducir”? Is it an irregular verb?

Yes, “traducir” (to translate) is irregular in the yo form of the present tense.

Present tense of traducir:

yo traduzco – I translate
tú traduces – you translate
él / ella / usted traduce – he / she / you (formal) translate(s)
nosotros traducimos – we translate
ustedes / ellos traducen – you (pl.) / they translate

Pattern: many verbs ending in -cer or -cir change c → zc in the yo form:

conocer → conozco (I know / am acquainted with)
producir → produzco (I produce)
traducir → traduzco (I translate)

So “traduzco” is the correct irregular yo form.

Why is it “de inglés a español”? In English we say “from English into Spanish.”

Spanish typically uses the structure:

traducir de X a Y = to translate from X to Y

So:

de inglés a español = from English to Spanish

This matches English fairly closely:

de ≈ from
a ≈ to / into

Other common patterns:

Traduzco del inglés al español.
Traduce del francés al alemán. = He/She translates from French to German.

So de … a … is the normal, idiomatic combination with traducir.

Should it really be “del inglés al español” instead of “de inglés a español”? What’s the difference?

Both are understandable, but:

Most native speakers would naturally say:
A veces traduzco palabras del inglés al español en mi diario.

Here’s what’s going on:

de + el = del
a + el = al

So:

de el inglés → del inglés
a el español → al español

Using the articles (el inglés, el español) sounds more standard and specific:

del inglés al español = from the English (language) to the Spanish (language)

“de inglés a español” is not wrong and may occur in speech, but “del inglés al español” is usually more natural, especially in careful or written Spanish.

Why aren’t “inglés” and “español” capitalized in Spanish?

In Spanish, names of languages and nationalities are not capitalized, unless they are at the beginning of a sentence or part of a proper name:

inglés, español, francés, alemán
soy inglés, hablo español, un diccionario francés

Capital letters are used differently from English:

English: English, Spanish, French (capitalized)
Spanish: inglés, español, francés (lowercase)

So in the sentence:

palabras de inglés a español

lowercase inglés and español are correct.

Why is there no article before “palabras”? Why not “las palabras”?

Spanish often omits the article when you’re talking about things in a non-specific, general way, similar to English “words” vs. “the words.”

A veces traduzco palabras…
→ Sometimes I translate words… (some words, not specific ones)

If you say:

A veces traduzco las palabras de inglés a español…

it sounds more like specific, known words (for example, “the words we discussed”, “the words in that text”).

So:

palabras (no article) = some / any words (general)
las palabras = the specific words (already known from context)

In your sentence, the general meaning fits better, so no article is natural.

Could I say “A veces estoy traduciendo palabras…” instead of “A veces traduzco palabras…”?

You can, but the meaning changes slightly, just as in English:

A veces traduzco palabras…
- Habit, routine, repeated action
- Sometimes I translate words…
A veces estoy traduciendo palabras…
- Emphasizes an ongoing process at certain times, sounds more like “Sometimes I happen to be in the middle of translating words…”

In Spanish, the simple present is used very often for habits and regular activities. For “something I do from time to time,” “A veces traduzco palabras…” is the most natural choice.

Can I move “en mi diario” somewhere else in the sentence?

Yes, Spanish word order is flexible. All of these are possible:

A veces traduzco palabras de inglés a español en mi diario.
(Neutral; very natural: “Sometimes I translate words… in my diary.”)
En mi diario, a veces traduzco palabras de inglés a español.
(Slight emphasis on in my diary.)
A veces, en mi diario, traduzco palabras de inglés a español.
(Both a veces and en mi diario are highlighted; sounds a bit more “written” or careful.)

All are grammatically correct. The version you have is the most straightforward spoken style.

Why is it “en mi diario” and not something like “a mi diario”?

The preposition “en” usually means “in / inside / in the pages of”:

en mi diario = in my diary (inside the diary, in what I write there)

The preposition “a” is more like “to / toward”:

escribo a mi amigo = I write to my friend
voy a mi casa = I go to my house

So here you’re not translating to your diary as a destination; you’re translating in it, as a physical place (the notebook or journal). That’s why “en mi diario” is correct.

Does “diario” always mean “diary”? I’ve also seen it mean “newspaper.”

“Diario” has two main common meanings:

As a noun meaning “diary / journal”
- Escribo en mi diario. = I write in my diary.
- Mi diario es muy personal. = My diary is very personal.
As a noun meaning “newspaper” (especially in names of newspapers)
- Leí la noticia en el diario. = I read the news in the newspaper.
- El Diario de X (name of a paper)

In “en mi diario”, the possessive “mi” and the context (translating words you write) make it clear it means “my diary / my journal”, not “my newspaper.”

Can I say “traduzco palabras del inglés en español” instead of “de inglés a español”?

The most natural pattern with traducir is:

traducir de X a Y
→ Traduzco del inglés al español.

You can see “traducir X en Y” in some contexts, especially more formal or older style Spanish:

Tradujeron la obra en español. = They translated the work into Spanish.

But for everyday speech, especially in Latin America, “de inglés a español” (or “del inglés al español”) is much more common and idiomatic than “del inglés en español”.

So, stick with “de … a …” for translations between languages.

How do you pronounce “traduzco” in Latin American Spanish? The -dzco cluster looks tricky.

In most of Latin America:

traduzco is pronounced roughly: [tra-DUS-ko]

Details:

tra- → like “tra” in “traffic” (but with a tapped/flapped r)
-duz- → z sounds like s in Latin America
- so it’s dus, not an English “dz” or “z” sound
-co → like “ko” in “coffee” (with a hard k sound)

Syllable division: tra–duz–co.

So you don’t need to pronounce a complicated English-style consonant cluster; just say “tra-DUS-co” smoothly.