The following article is part of the Spanish Friday initiative that promotes blogging in Spanish. El siguiente artículo es parte de la iniciativa Spanish Friday que promueve el blogueo en español. Artículos en la serie Como agua para chocolate: • Parte 1 | Como agua para chocolate: Un dicho mexicano hecho novela • Parte 2 […]
12 Peru Spanish Slang Words from Proper Names
While reviewing the book Quick Guide to Peruvian Spanish some cool Peru Spanish slang terms caught my attention. These terms are proper names that have taken on another meaning in the local Spanish. Knowing these phrases, when you travel to Peru you will avoid getting confused when you hear these names: 12 Proper Names That […]
Infographic: Are You Really Fluent in Spanish?
This is the infographic for the blog post Are You Really Fluent in Spanish? Only If You Know These 8 Words. If you find it useful, please share, like or pin it for your friends. ARE YOU REALLY FLUENT IN SPANISH? | Infographics
10 Reverse Peru Spanish Slang Words
Changing the order of the syllables of a word to create a new one is a form of Spanish slang in some countries. In past articles, we have featured a list of 25 lunfardo inverse words from Argentina and also 6 examples of reverse words from Colombia. Going through the book Quick Guide to Peruvian […]
Como agua para chocolate: ¿Qué es realismo mágico?
The following article is part of the Spanish Friday initiative that promotes blogging in Spanish. El siguiente artículo es parte de la iniciativa Spanish Friday que promueve el blogueo en español. Artículos en la serie Como agua para chocolate: • Parte 1 | Como agua para chocolate: Un dicho mexicano hecho novela • Parte 2 […]
Quick Guide to Dominican Spanish: A Book for Learning Spanish from the Dominican Republic
A Book for Learning Spanish from the Dominican Republic with more than 500 Spanish words translated to English to learn Dominican Spanish vocabulary. Spanish vocabulary changes significantly from one country to the next. Yet, few people learn about this until they are in a country, stumbling through the local Spanish slang.
Como agua para chocolate: Un dicho mexicano hecho novela
The following article is part of the Spanish Friday initiative that promotes blogging in Spanish. El siguiente artículo es parte de la iniciativa Spanish Friday que promueve el blogueo en español. Artículos en la serie Como agua para chocolate: • Parte 1 | Como agua para chocolate: Un dicho mexicano hecho novela • Parte 2 […]
Avoid These 4 Mistakes in Spanish: Language Learning Videos
The following set of videos were created by the Fundación de Español Urgente (Fundéu) and represent some common basic Spanish mistakes. Inglaterra, Reino Unido y Gran Bretaña no son lo mismo (England, United Kingdom and Great Britain are not the same) Estar «al norte» de un lugar no es estar «en el norte» (The difference […]
4 Short Spanish Language Learning Videos About Confusing Words
Today I will continue sharing more Spanish language learning videos from the Fundación de Español Urgente (Fundéu). The first set of videos that I shared recently were about numbers and numerals in Spanish. Now I have selected four videos of confusing Spanish words that can be tricky to even native speakers. In Spanish there are […]
5 Quick Spanish Language Learning Videos About Numbers
Spanish can be confusing, even for native speakers. When you have mastered counting in Spanish you will need to pay attention to other basic Spanish expression for fractions, numerals, percents, etc. The Fundación de Español Urgente (Fundéu) is a non-profit organization whose “main objective is to promote the proper use of Spanish in the media.” […]
HACER HUEVO: Argentina Spanish Slang Expression
Let’s be honest. I bet you would like to hacer huevo every day. I’m not talking about making eggs daily, I am talking about the Argentina Spanish slang expression hacer huevo that means to not do anything or screw off. Take a look at the above illustration from my book Speaking Argento and don’t tell […]
28 Spanglish Words: The Best of the Worst
Spanglish has really invaded the Spanish language in basically every Spanish speaking country. While some cross-over is only natural, sometimes the words that pop up in the Spanish vocabulary are just down-right comical. Here’s my personal collection of some of the worst Spanglish words in use. Technology Spanglish Words In the case of gaming […]
BILLETERA MATA GALÁN: Argentina Spanish Slang Expression
Ever heard the phrase “Billetera mata galán” floating around in Argentina and wondered what in the world it means? Don’t worry; you’re not alone in the confusion. Let’s dive into the fascinating world of Argentine sayings and unpack this gem. If you are looking for the English translation of this Argentina Spanish slang expression, here […]
7 Peru Spanish Slang Words to Impress Your Friends
Guest post: This is an article from Daniel McKay whose personal experience with Spanish is similar to mine. He learned Spanish as an adult, has traveled significantly in South America and ran into basic confusions with Spanish when he landed for an extended period in Peru. The result of this experience is his book ¿Quién […]
4 Spanish Language Words to Express Different Levels of Abuse
While I hope you will never have to talk about serious abuse in Spanish, it’s important to know the difference between the words that refer to abuse, harassment, and basic annoyance. If you’re not careful, you could either over-exaggerate a tame situation or poorly explain a very serious situation. Here are 4 Spanish words you […]
Quick Guide to Colombian Spanish: A Book for Learning Spanish from Colombia
Spanish vocabulary changes significantly from one country to the next. Yet, few people learn about this until they are in a country, stumbling through the local Spanish. Are you learning Spanish? Preparing to visit Colombia? Or even just wanting to be more familiar with its specific slang and local words? This book for learning […]
The 8 Most Clever Spanish Slang Dictionary and Book Titles
Jared and I recently conducted a ton of research about Spanish slang books to put together our Resource Pages by Country and other projects that are coming soon. In the process of evaluating the content included there, I stumbled upon a couple of clever Spanish slang book titles that I think are worth sharing. The […]
17 Spanish Words for POPCORN in Spanish
Eating popcorn is an all time favorite snack at the movies. You can have it salty or sweet or you can even string it as a Christmas decoration or packaging material. But as simple as it sounds when it comes to a Spanish translation it is not easy. Palomitas de maíz is the most common […]
2 Examples of English to Spanish False Friend Words
The definition of false friends according to Wikipedia is “a pairs of words or phrases in two languages or dialects that look or sound similar, but differ significantly in meaning.” Here I will show you two examples of false friend Spanish words that can confuse English speakers: asistir and atender, and sensible and sensato. English […]
MÁS PERDIDO QUE UN JUEY BIZCO: Puerto Rican Spanish Slang Expression
Translate the Puerto Rican Spanish slang expression: MÁS PERDIDO QUE UN JUEY BIZCO The Puerto Rican saying estar más perdido que un juey bizco is one of my favorites. This particular phrase is one of the most commonly used by locals on the island. It also uses the Puerto Rican Spanish word juey for crab. […]
Puerto Rican Words in Spanish for US Currency: Infographic
“Más de un siglo después de uso de la moneda estadounidense, seguimos buscando el peso, tramitando la peseta, pidiendo el medio peso, luchando el vellón, sudando los chavos…” -Luz Nereida Pérez from the book Puerto Rico y el lenguaje Puerto Ricans say chavos instead of dinero Puerto Rico is a United States territory since […]
MANTECADITOS: Puerto Rican Spanish Slang Word for Butter Cookie
Here’s a photo of a pack of mantecaditos taken in a store in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Mantecaditos is the local Puerto Rican Spanish Slang Word for a type of butter or shortbread cookie. Mantecaditos and polvorones are similar and many people use both names interchangeably. Know of any other words for cookies used throughout […]
ALMOJÁBANAS: Puerto Rican Spanish Slang Word for a Rice Flour Fritters
Photo: Puerto Rican Spanish Slang Word for a Rice Flour Fritter Almojábanas are fritters made of rice flour, cheese, Parmesan cheese, milk and egg. This mixture is used to make a dough that is fried in a ball. Other Latin American countries make their own versions of almojábanas with different ingredients, sizes and cooking methods. […]
Just Kidding! 25 Joke Related Spanish Words You Should Know
Broma or chiste is how to say joke in Spanish – these two words are often used interchangeably when talking about jokes or joking around and the laughing emoji means the same thing in every language. Latinos love to kid around and laugh as much as any other people and they have plenty of words […]
PILÓN: Puerto Rican Slang Word for a type of lollipop
Photo: Puerto Rican Slang Word for LOLLIPOP Above is a photo I took one day at the grocery store in Puerto Rico. The word Pilón or Pilones in plural is the Puerto Rican Spanish word for a type of “lollipop”. Here are two more pictures of how a pilón looks: Do you know any other […]
The Colombian List of Spanish Slang Expressions Every Student Should Know: INFOGRAPHIC
I am excited to share our first guest blogger post from Emilia Carrillo at Spanish 4 Teachers.Org. As an example of the power of twitter Emilia (@spanish4teacher) and I (@jaredromey) originally met through Twitter and have shared our ideas through emails, twitter and conversation. Without Twitter we would never have met, me living in Miami […]
Looking For An Argentina Spanish Slang Dictionary? Check Out These 3 Options
It doesn’t matter if you know or don’t know Spanish, if you decide to visit Argentina you will need help understanding their colloquial language. In the past, many foreigners or expats have gone through this same situation resulting in the publication of dictionaries and guides that define the local Spanish vocabulary in English. Here I […]
Learn Spanish: The 5 Ways to Say TO BECOME in Spanish
Becoming something in the world of Spanish is not a simple task. In basic Spanish, there are 5 different verbs that mean “to become” and each one has its own distinct use. Here’s a brief look at them. 1. Ponerse (+ an adjective) Ponerse + an adjective refers to a physical or emotional change that […]
List of Spanish Slang Expressions Used in Cuba: 10 Common Words and Phrases Infographic
Cuban Spanish is not commonly heard outside Cuba. Sure there are tons of Cubans and Cuban descendants living in the US, Puerto Rico and other countries, but after 30-50 years outside of Cuba, their Spanish should have differences with the Spanish currently used in Cuba. Here is a list of common Spanish slang words still […]
Learn Spanish by Country: For Intermediate and Advanced Spanish Speakers
Are you feeling confident in your beginner level Spanish skills? Ready to take the next step? Excellent! The next step for you is to learn Spanish slang that is specific to certain regions and countries. Did you know that Spanish changes significantly from one country to another? If not, you’re in for a surprise. Not […]