chalé

[xan]

So I am trying to figure out exactly what is a "chalé", or "chalet" as it is sometimes written. Is it just what one might call a detached house with some sort of yard? In english of course "chalet" has a more specific connotation.

In the series "No hay quien viva" the character Paloma is always going on about how she must have a chalé, it seems to be some sort of heated dream of a certain class of apartment-dwellers.

And we also have what one can only call chalé house pxrn here (http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2007/10/11/videos_suvivienda/1192088278.html) and here (http:////www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2008/05/07/videos_suvivienda/1210183037.html) from El Mundo. This Toñi Campaña seems to specialize in this kind of coverage. These houses would be considered gigantic even in the US, so I can´t imagine how they must seem to Spaniards.

[Urgellenk]

Chalé is used to refer to any sort of one-family house. It does not necessarily have to be detached. In fact, "chalés adosados" (terraced houses) are the most widespread (often referred to as "adosados"). There are also "chalés pareados" (semi-detached houses) and "unifamiliares" or "individuales" (detached).

I belief you should translate the English word "chalet" as "chalet suizo" or "chalet de montaña".

[Beckett]

So I am trying to figure out exactly what is a "chalé", or "chalet" as it is sometimes written. Is it just what one might call a detached house with some sort of yard? In english of course "chalet" has a more specific connotation.

And we also have what one can only call chalé house pxrn here (http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2007/10/11/videos_suvivienda/1192088278.html) and here (http:////www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2008/05/07/videos_suvivienda/1210183037.html) from El Mundo. This Toñi Campaña seems to specialize in this kind of coverage. These houses would be considered gigantic even in the US, so I can´t imagine how they must seem to Spaniards.

Yes, in Spain, a "chalé" or "chalet", is the term they use to describe a house in the suburbs, a detached house with a yard as you already mentioned. I only watched one of those videos you posted and wasn't blown away. It would've been nice to have seen a full exterior shot of the houses. The interiors felt cramped with rather low ceilings. The typical McMansions built in many sprawling U.S. suburbs in the past few years would really knock the socks off many middle-class Europeans. Their jaws would be on the floor if they could see how much house people used to be able to buy on a teacher's or policeman's salary in states like Georgia, Florida or Texas.

[Beckett]

Chalé is used to refer to any sort of one-family house. It does not necessarily have to be detached. In fact, "chalés adosados" (terraced houses) are the most widespread (often referred to as "adosados"). There are also "chalés pareados" (semi-detached houses) and "unifamiliares" or "individuales" (detached).

I belief you should translate the English word "chalet" as "chalet suizo" or "chalet de montaña".

Thanks for the additional detail! Chalets for days!!:D

[greytop]

Right, now why does a "bungalow" in Spain have more than one floor and form part of a block? In UK we always dreamed of retiring to a bungalow because it was usually in the suburbs, with a garden and had no stairs!

[xan]

Right, now why does a "bungalow" in Spain have more than one floor and form part of a block? In UK we always dreamed of retiring to a bungalow because it was usually in the suburbs, with a garden and had no stairs!

Well, that it bizarre. But then one never really knows what will become of loan words, or how they will be used. Not to mention the pseudo-loan words. Like "footing", that one always struck me as totally strange. How ever did they come up with that? Truth be told, I have difficulty even saying it unless I think of it as "futin" and try to strip it of all its english associations.

[eldeano]

Have I missed a post? Has anyone deleted one?

[xan]

Have I missed a post? Has anyone deleted one?

No. What to others may seem a nonsequitur was actually a train of thought. "bungalow" is a loan word from english to spanish (and presumably a loan word from hindi to english before that). Spaniards seem to be using it in a way not consistent with english usage. Which brought up all the other (from an anglophone perspective) odd things that spaniards do with english words, or with what they believe are english words...

Or perhaps you are referring to greytop´s jump from "chalé" to "bungalow"? But that is easy to follow. They are both imported spanish housing terms, and used in ways surprising to anglophones.

[eldeano]

It was the former. Thanks for explaining that, xan. :thumbs-up:

[Beckett]

Well, that it bizarre. But then one never really knows what will become of loan words, or how they will be used. Not to mention the pseudo-loan words. Like "footing", that one always struck me as totally strange. How ever did they come up with that? Truth be told, I have difficulty even saying it unless I think of it as "futin" and try to strip it of all its english associations.

;D;D So true! I chuckle whenever I hear "hacer footing". It just sounds so silly! I bet the original conversation went something like this:

Persona 1: Mira a ese guiri corriendo en la calle con los pantalones cortos puestos. ¡Qué gracioso! ¿Qué demonios hace?
Persona 2: Pues no tenemos una palabra exacta en español por esa actividad porque no nos gusta sudar y llevar pantalones cortos en público. Ya sabes cómo son esos guiris y cómo les gusta llamar la atención. (risas) Creo que los angloparlantes lo llaman algo que tiene que ver con los pies.
Persona 1: ¿Los pies? Pero ¿qué dices, hombre? Se llaman "fut" en inglés.
Persona 2: Eso es. Entonces, el guiri hace futín. ¿Qué te parece?
Persona 1: ¡Me parece genial!

[Urgellenk]

Re. bungalow, that must be a misuse of the word. A bungalow in Spanish can only have one floor and should not be incorporated into an apartment complex.

By the way, chalé is a "galicismo" which has been incorporated into the Spanish language and, therefore, Spanish spelling rules apply. The right way to spell it is chalé and not chalet. If you use the French version, a "barbarismo" (as when you refer, for instance, to a Swiss chalet), you should write it in italics.

[Juanjo]

Their jaws would be on the floor if they could see how much house people used to be able to buy on a teacher's or policeman's salary in states like Georgia, Florida or Texas.

Yes..... but surely the price of "condoms" has led to a population explosion?;):)