What does it mean word for word?
The phrase uses the preposition de, which literally translates to 'of', 'from' or 'belonging to'. In this context, it is used to express possession or authorship, meaning 'a song is of someone'.
Which one should you use?
While English uses the preposition 'by' to denote authorship, Spanish uses de to indicate that the song belongs to the artist's repertoire or is their creation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you may use Esta canción es de [artist's name] to indicate ownership. In Argentina and Uruguay, it is common to use the word tema instead of canción, resulting in the phrase Este tema es de [artist's name].
How do you pronounce it?
/una kanθjon es de alɡjen/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use es por when translating 'is by' for authorship. Instead, use es de as it is the natural way to express this in Spanish.
Did you know?
- The word canción is actually a 'semi-learned' borrowing from Latin, meaning it was reshaped by scholars to look more like the original Latin 'cantio' rather than evolving naturally through common speech.
- The first written record of the word alguien dates back to a document from San Esteban de Nogales in the year 1247.
- The word alguien is likely a linguistic hybrid, formed by blending the word alguno with the word quien.
Examples in context
- ¡Me encanta esta canción! Es de Shakira, ¿sabías?I love this song! It's by Shakira, did you know?
