My mother has an unusual mobile phone

Nicole P.B1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

My mother has an unusual mobile phone

Hello:

in the exercise at: https://spanish.kwiziq.com/my-languages/spanish/exercises/judge/314/481235?response=57969&;page=8

sentence: My mother uses her mobile phone to make calls and send texts 

Spanish: Mi madre usa el teléfono móvil para hacer llamadas o mandar mensajes.

The exercise says: "and", but the translation is: "o" 

i.e.: and send texts.

Kwizbot: o enviar mensajes. 

You: y enviar texto

Why is the translation "o" 9meaning "or" 0 instead of "y" meaning and as per the text?

Is there an error here, if so what lesson would answer this?

Thank you, Nicole

Asked 5 years ago
InmaKwiziq team member

Hola Nicole

To be honest, we could also use "or" in English. In Spanish, the difference between these two sentences:

1. Mi madre usa el teléfono móvil para hacer llamadas o mandar mensajes.

2. Mi madre usa el teléfono móvil para hacer llamadas y mandar mensajes.

is that in 1. with o we are implying that she either uses her phone for calling or for sending messages (the only two things she does with her phone), and in 2. using y there is a subtle implication that she may be using her phone for other things as well. 

To avoid confusion, I will change the text to "or" and "o" to match it in both languages.

Un saludo

Inma

Nicole P.B1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Hola Inma, or should I call you "Oh Wise One" :)

I really love your replies, they really help to clarify things.  

Thank you so much.

Nicole

InmaKwiziq team member

Thanks Nicole! 

I really appreciate your comment.

Inma

My mother has an unusual mobile phone

Hello:

in the exercise at: https://spanish.kwiziq.com/my-languages/spanish/exercises/judge/314/481235?response=57969&;page=8

sentence: My mother uses her mobile phone to make calls and send texts 

Spanish: Mi madre usa el teléfono móvil para hacer llamadas o mandar mensajes.

The exercise says: "and", but the translation is: "o" 

i.e.: and send texts.

Kwizbot: o enviar mensajes. 

You: y enviar texto

Why is the translation "o" 9meaning "or" 0 instead of "y" meaning and as per the text?

Is there an error here, if so what lesson would answer this?

Thank you, Nicole

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