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a secas

English translation: alone (by itself)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:a secas
English translation:alone (by itself)
Entered by: Henry Hinds

18:17 Sep 2, 2008
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Spanish term or phrase: a secas
This is from the help section of a a social networking site (for teens/kids), in a description of how to send a "friend request". You can "mandar la invitación "a secas" o agregarle un mensaje que tu amigo leerá cuando reciba tu pedido." I understand that this means to send the automatic request message alone, without adding a personal message, but I'm completely blanking out about how you would express this in English.
Kathryn Litherland
United States
Local time: 20:32
alone (by itself)
Explanation:
mandar la invitación a secas = send the invitation alone (by itself)
Selected response from:

Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 18:32
Grading comment
I think "send the invitation by itself or add a personal message" sounds the most natural to me in this context.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +8alone (by itself)
Henry Hinds
4 +5as is, on its own
tazdog (X)
4 +4"just" the invitation or you can add...
Remy Arce
5 +1send/use the default invitation
Daniel Coria
4plain invitation
Carla_am
4 -1send the invitation, period
Mara Campbell


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
"just" the invitation or you can add...


Explanation:
mi opción

Remy Arce
United States
Local time: 20:32
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 96

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  lachacel: Perfect! This is the exact translation. As in other common uses: ¿Te llamas María Luisa? –No, me llamo Luisa a secas… Is your name Mary Louise? -No, my name is just Louise.
3 hrs
  -> Gracias lachacel!, muy amable
agree  NAdobato (X)
6 hrs
  -> Gracias Natalia!
agree  Vivian B E
7 hrs
  -> Gracias Vivian!
agree  Marina56: ok
15 hrs
  -> Gracias Marina!
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3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +8
alone (by itself)


Explanation:
mandar la invitación a secas = send the invitation alone (by itself)

Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 18:32
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 355
Grading comment
I think "send the invitation by itself or add a personal message" sounds the most natural to me in this context.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  teju: I like by itself. Buenos días, I was wondering where you were today :)
6 mins
  -> Gracias, Teju. I'm around.
agree  Robert Anderson: I like "by itself" also. Hi Henry!
33 mins
  -> Gracias, Bob. Good to see you here.
agree  liz askew
48 mins
  -> Gracias, Liz.
agree  Egmont
1 hr
  -> Gracias, AVRVM.
agree  Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
1 hr
  -> Gracias, Bea.
disagree  lachacel: La traducción de "a secas" en cualquier contexto es "just" como dice Remy Arce
3 hrs
  -> ¿En cualquier contexto? Oye, pues... mis respetos.
agree  Barbara Cochran, MFA: "By itself."
18 hrs
  -> Gracias, Femme.
agree  eesegura
21 hrs
  -> Gracias, Eesegura.
agree  Marita La Palm: I would say: "send the invitation by itself."
1 day 10 hrs
  -> Gracias, Lia.
agree  Edward Tully
4 days
  -> Gracias, Ed.
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
as is, on its own


Explanation:
I think either of these would work.

tazdog (X)
Spain
Local time: 02:32
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 59

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nikki Graham: "as is" is what I was going to suggest
1 min
  -> must be those great minds thinking alike, right? :P
agree  Lisa McCarthy: or "as it is" - which is what I´m used to hearing
21 mins
agree  Lydia De Jorge
22 mins
agree  Egmont: Too!
1 hr
agree  kjmcguire
1 hr
disagree  lachacel: La traducción de "a secas" en cualquier contexto es "just" como dice Remy Arce
3 hrs
  -> Right. Hurry, you have to tell the people who publish Collins, Simon & Schuster, etc. dictionaries that their other suggestions are just plain WRONG and there is only ONE possible translation for any situation. ::rolleyes::
agree  Barbara Cochran, MFA: "On its own."
18 hrs
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45 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
send/use the default invitation


Explanation:
For example, you can describe your site and what it should be used for, or add a personal message to the default e-mail invitation. ...
http://www.microsoft.com.nsatc.net/technet/archive/sharepoin...

Your e-mail address: Add a personal message: (optional) ... Use the Zolve default invitation message or create and save your own personal message. ...
http://zolve.com/forum/ThreadNavigation.aspx?PostID=5430&Nav...

... page for your community you should see a "Add a personal message" checkbox. ... We're always working on making the default invitation text as breif, ...
http://www.change.org/info/display_idea_thread?thread_id=587...

Once you have chosen the individuals you would like to contact send them the default invitation, or if you are so inclined please write your own personal ...
http://edwards08.ning.com/

You can either send a default invitation or select custom and write your own ° Default message ° Custom message Note: Any changes you make to the default ...
http://www.envelope.org/wego/help/v3_help/WegoUserHelp/v3hel...

My 2 cents...

Daniel Coria
Argentina
Local time: 21:32
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 28

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  lachacel: No totalmente, en el texto español hay un tono coloquial con ese “a secas” que creo que hay que conserver en el ingles como ”just” (propuesto por Remy Arce) aunque le agregues el “default”, o sea “you can just send the default invitation, or…”
2 hrs
  -> Gracias, Lachacel. Igualmente no creo que sea tan categórico el tema de "just". Saludos!
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
send the invitation, period


Explanation:
otra idea sería incorporar la palabra "plain", aunque no se me ocurre cómo usarla en la oración.

Mara Campbell
Argentina
Local time: 21:32
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  lachacel: La traducción de "a secas" en cualquier contexto es "just" como dice Remy Arce
10 mins
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2 days 10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
plain invitation


Explanation:
me parece :)

Carla_am
Argentina
Local time: 21:32
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
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