More about desires (ganas)
For this last post (for now) about using the Spanish word "gana(s)", I want to talk about two commonly used expressions with quite different meanings: verbo + lo que le da la gana (to do whatever one feels like) and quedarse con las ganas (to be left wanting to do something). I'll let the examples show how they are used and how they might be translated into English. Notice that especially for the "quedarse con las ganas" expression, there's no one good translation in English:
Spanish - verbo + lo que le da la gana
1. Pepe dice que no tiene dinero pero luego compra todo lo que le da la gana.
2. Beberé lo que me de la gana - tú no vas a controlarme.
3. Ella dijo que se quedaría en casa pero luego salió e hizo lo que le dio la gana.
Spanish - quedarse con las ganas
1. Ibamos a ir a la playa pero empezó a llover y nos quedamos con las ganas.
2. Quería ir a México pero no tenía dinero así que me quedé con las ganas.
3. Quiero un Corvette pero nunca tendré dinero suficiente. Supongo que siempre me quedaré con las ganas.
English - verbo + lo que le da la gana
1. Pepe says that he doesn't have any money but then he buys whatever he feels like buying.
2. I'll drink whatever I feel like drinking - you aren't going to control me.
3. She said she would stay at home but then she went out and went wild. (very liberal translation)
English - quedarse con las ganas
1. We were going to go to the beach but it started raining. We were disappointed and still wanted to go.
2. I wanted to go to Mexico but I didn't have enough money so I was left only with the wanting.
3. I want a Corvette but I'll never have enough money. I guess I'll have to live always wanting the car that I can't have.
Brad
