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"The concrete is dry" or "The concrete is too dry" - in the building-trade. I searched some dictionaries but there are many synonyms for both words, I have no clue if the simple workers use "concreto" or "hormigón" for concrete. Also "dry" has a lot of synonyms in spanish.
Could someone help me out on this one please?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Tobin,
"hormigón" is the correct term (it is the only one that appears as a building material in the Real Academia Española's dictionary). As for dry, it should be translated as "seco". Hope that helps!
Thank you.
"El hormigón es seco" or "El hormigón esta seco" by the way? I still have issues to learn the difference properly. Alos how do they say it the concrete is too dry?
Hello Tobin. That depends. "El hormigón es seco" means that concrete as a material is dry (quality), like saying "snow is cold". "El hormigón está seco" means that NOW it's dry (state), but it might have been wet.
"El hormigón está demasiado seco" (concrete is too dry).
I think this might depend on where you are and who you are talking to. I don't hear "hormigón" used by workers in my area (U.S./Mexican border). They say "cemento", so that's what I'd use (cemento) because it's simpler if you're talking to guys on a jobsite.
Daniel is right. "....está demasiado seco".
If the mix is too dry because they're using too little water, you might tell tell them: "El cemento está demasiado seco. Dében usar mas agua".
Concreto is an adjective in Spanish so you wouldn't use it.
Well, in Colombia you hear "cemento" or "concreto", never "hormigón" (which is the proper standard word).
We need some context here. The first thing that comes to mind with "the concrete is too dry" is that they are informally saying that such concrete couldn't be properly compacted when the form is filled, but we'd need to confirm that is the intention. In that case, in an informal level it would be "el hormigón/concreto es demasiado seco" or "es pobre en agua" or better said "el hormigón asienta poco".
The other circumstance one may hear that sentence is when concrete is strengthening -it needs water for chemical reactions- causing it to become weaker. In such case it would be "el hormigón/concreto está demasiado seco".
Thanks for all the responses.
So it seems to me the most difference - as talking to workers on a jobsite - is that in Mexico and Columbia people use Cemento/Concreto instead of Hormigón.
Does anyone have experience here which word is the most commonly used by workers in Spain?
A friend from Mallorca tells me that they use "hormigón" or "cemento", though they tend to use "hormigón" for big construction works and "cemento" for smaller ones. :o
Thank you!
hormigón, the one with rocks, used for structural works or pavements; mortero de cemento, cal, etc, the one with any kind of cement and sand for bricklaying or plastering
the correct term for CONCRETE is CONCRETO, the word HORMIGON , is a defferent thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tobin Bell
the word DRY, can omly mean SECO, VERY DRY, is another thing.
greetings,
juan jaime gutierrez
Juan: Sorry, but I must disagree with you.:)
Source:
Diccionario de la lengua española | Edición del Tricentenario
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hormigón1
De hormigo 'gachas de harina'.
1. m. Material que resulta de la mezcla de agua, arena, grava y cemento o cal, y que, al fraguar, adquiere más resistencia.
Material that results from a mixture of water, sand, gravel y cemento.... that is the recipe for concrete
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concreto2
Del ingl. concrete.
1. m. Am. hormigón (‖ mezcla de agua, arena, grava y cemento).
Real Academia Española © Todos los derechos reservados
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P.S. There is a difference between cement and concrete. Cement is the powdery substance that acts as the "glue" in the concrete mixture. It will harden if mixed with water but does not have the strength and resistance of concrete. The sand and gravel (aggregate) mixed with cement and the right amount of water provide the finished concrete product which is usually re-inforced with iron rods (rebar) or a metal mesh for added strength. (I just poured a concrete foundation for an addition to my house:cool:)
You are right. Cement is not the same as Hormigón. Hormigón is the final mix of the cement plus sand, rocks and water. H25 - H22 - H20 etcQuote:
Originally Posted by aleCcowaN