Alegria, Alegria

Alegría, Alegría

The adjective alegre provides you with a galaxy of starry-eyed words like glad, bright, cheerful, light-hearted and joyful.  This word is also good for describing a bright colour - un color alegre, as well as a catchy tune - una melodía alegre. 

As it does in English, alegre describes someone who is merry like Old King Cole. At the same time it can be an indulgent adjective for someone who has had too much to drink and is merry or tipsy but not to the extent of incapacity. 

In the past alegre would often be translated as gay although this is less common now that the English word is used as a noun, not an adjective, as it often is in Spanish too.

It is astonishing that a gloomy, inhibited race like the Spanish should have come up with a verb like alegrar and alegrarse.  Depending on whether it is reflexive or not, this means to be merry, to be made merry, to please, to be pleased, to be happy, to be made happy, to be glad, to be glad of, to cheer, to be cheered (up rather than hip, hip).

Me alegro - I'm glad is also a laconic Spanish reaction to good news, to another's good fortune and quite often to their misfortune as well.  

When to be glad refers less to internal joy or merriness and more to unjoyful courtesy, it is usual to encounter the verb gustar or the noun gusto: le gustaría ayudarle - she would be glad to help him  (literally she would be pleased to help him) or le ayudaría con gusto (literally she would help him with pleasure).  Or you can put things yet another way with le es grato ayudarle - she takes pleasure in helping him.

Unsurprisingly, the noun alegría means joy, happiness and is ritually intoned when wine spills from an unsteady glass or a shaky bottle. Spilling wine is regarded as good luck and this way you are sharing it with alegría, a word that means joy or happiness. ou have to say alegría, alegría and dab a little on the foreheads of those present in what – unconsciously or not – is a libation. 

It’s very different from the bad luck associated with spilling salt – sal which (amongst the superstitious at least) which is as unfortunate in Spain as anywhere else.  Or, as an old proverb warns verterse el vino es buen sino, derramarse la sal, mala señal:  Spilling wine is a good omen, spilling salt is a bad sign.

You can make a song and dance out of the noun Alegrías, which is a Flamenco palo or style but non-singing, non-dancing alegría means cheer, gaiety, cheerfulness, joy, gladness or brightness .

It combines with dar to produce a verb that means the same as all those given above: me dio alegria verle - seeing him made me happy (literally gave me happiness).  The addition of the indefinite article makes this more popular, less elegant and sometimes too effusive: me dio una alegría verle - seeing him made me really happy.   Darse una alegría al cuerpo is to give oneself a treat, as Macarena is urged to do in the song.

Catalina beside busy Lizzies

And don’t let’s forget the la alegría de la casa - joy of the home that is present in every Spanish garden and known to English-speakers know as a busy Lizzie.

Then there is la alegría de la huerta a term that describe someone optimistic and positive.  Expect to find it used ironically for someone who is no bundle of joy.

In the meantime, if you find all this harping on about gaiety and cheerfulness rather depressing, remember that with a minimum of effort and a maximum of satisfaction, it is possible to turn alegria into alergia - allergy, as gratifying an anagram as any you’ll come across.