Translate - My main focus is Spanish

[LinBB]

The sentence that I want to translate is:

My main focus is Spanish. 

 

Context: 

I am trying to say that I am learning multiple languages, but my main focus is Spanish. My trouble with this sentence is the "focus" part. 

 

My attempts (they sound awkward to me, or is it me?): 

我的主要焦点是西班牙语。 

 

or 

 

我主攻西班牙语。 But that kind of alters a bit too much to my liking. 

 

 

Thank you in advance. 

 

EDITED: 

 

Here is a fuller context of how I am using this sentence (the original passage is really long, so I only narrowed it down):

 

FULLER CONTEXT:

 

I am available for language exchange. I am learning Spanish, Korean, and Chinese (Cantonese).

 

About the Languages: 

 

(1) Spanish: 

Spanish is my main focus. I am at a complete beginner level. I can't pronounce the "r" and "rr" so please bear with me while I work on that. My goal is to be conversational fluent. I love Spanish music, especially Reik's "Noviembre Sin Ti" and Aleks Syntek's "Loca" and "Duele el Amor." 

 

(2) Korean: ........

(3) Cantonese: ....... 

Edited March 24, 2014 at 05:07 AM by LinBB

[raydpratt]

I am not qualified to answer your question authoritatively, but I got interested in your problem because of my interest and education in Spanish.

 

I used Google translate to break down the individual characters of your Chinese sentences, and so I see what your are saying. I also used Google translate to see what your English translations look like in Spanish, which I can read.

 

I am not qualified to know the following things, but that might be what your questions amount to:

 

"I am learning multiple languages, but my main focus is Spanish," can be translated into Spanish as «Estoy aprendiendo varios idiomas, pero mi objetivo principal es español.» This translation by Google does not use the Spanish word for focus directly, which is «foco,» but I do not know if the reason is that the Spanish word for focus cannot be used metaphorically for the concept of a goal as in English, or if it is simply awkward when compared to the usual translation. Likewise, your Chinese word for focus, 焦点, may or may not be appropriate as a metaphorical replacement for the concept of a 'goal.' And, even if it could be, it may be awkward, or it may be perfect, but I do not know.

 

In your alternative Chinese sentence, "我主攻西班牙语," I transliterate that as "My main specialty Spanish," and so my English brain wants to add 是 between 我主攻 (my main specialty) and 西班牙语 (Spanish)，but I do not know Chinese grammar sufficiently well to say for sure.

 

I hope that this helps you to research further the specific questions of how you might want to say that 'my main goal is to learn Spanish' as a subordinate clause.

[muirm]

Maybe 主修? 我主修西班牙语。It doesn't suggest that you learn other languages, but then again neither does "my main focus is Spanish".

[skylee]

I think 我主攻西班牙语 is fine. As to 主修, it is mainly used to refer to a major in undergraduate study. If Spanish is your major in university, it is also ok.

[lingo-ling]

主修 means "major" according the dictionary, but in my experience as an overseas study consultant, I've found it can also refer to a field of focused study efforts that may be different from one's major. I have asked students what their 主修 is, and they sometimes respond not by telling me their major, but their prime area of interest within their major, or sometimes they just rattle of classes or subjects they have taken.

 

Still, in my experience, 主修 is used in formal academic contexts. So if you're doing self-study of languages, you wouldn't use the term.

 

Perhaps 我注重於西班牙文?

[Charlotte Chen]

Perhaps 我主要着重在西班牙语？

[OneEye]

Are you not a native speaker, as your profile suggests?

 

I'd say 我目前在學很多種語言，最主要的是西班牙文。

 

Usually, what you need is not a word-for-word translation, but a sentence that gets the same meaning across in a way that is natural in the target language.

[LinBB]

raydpratt, 

 

Thank you for stopping by and making valuable comments!

 

Likewise, your Chinese word for focus, 焦点, may or may not be appropriate as a metaphorical replacement for the concept of a 'goal.' And, even if it could be, it may be awkward, or it may be perfect, but I do not know.

 

Yes! Couldn't have described better. 

 

In case you might be interested, "主攻" here is closer to "main focus" than "main specialty." 

"攻" here is "attack." So "主攻" is like saying "mainly attacking X" in the sense of a game plan or strategy. 

 

I enjoyed reading your reply! If you are still following this thread, check out other people's replies too. 

 

muirm, 

Thanks! 主修 as skylee has mentioned is closer to major. I didn't provide enough context in my initial post. I have added additional information to my original post. Yea, I think it would've been more helpful if I had provided additional context. 

 

skylee,

Thank you!

 

lingo-ling,

Very interesting! Thank you for sharing 嗯嗯。 I like 我注重於西班牙文 better than my original attempt too. 

 

Charlotte Chen,

Thank you! I like your suggestion too! Better than my original attempt haha. 

 

OneEye, 

Yes. I am a native speaker. I am conversationally fluent but I do run into problems with translations. I haven't learned anything new in Chinese Mandarin since I immigrated. My English is often better than my Chinese Mandarin. Regardless, I definitely have a lot of room for language growth in both languages ^^ 

 

Thank you! I like your suggestion a lot! 

 

Usually, what you need is not a word-for-word translation, but a sentence that gets the same meaning across in a way that is natural in the target language.

 

嗯嗯！！！ It is just that sometimes I even trip when trying to find out the natural way to say it in the target language (T_T)".