Learn Spanish

English to Spanish Phrases: 327 Expressions, Sayings, and Idiom Translations

I spent a solid 10 years soaking up life in Puerto Rico, where I gathered a bunch of popular Spanish sayings and matched them with their English equivalents. While other resources online might start with the Spanish saying and give you the English version, that’s all well and good if you’re a native Spanish speaker or already know the Spanish saying you’re after. But if English is your mother tongue, what you really need is the reverse: the English saying paired up with its Spanish equivalent.

All You Need To Know to Express STOP in Spanish

The idea of expressing STOP in Spanish is extremely complicated. Are you referring to a stop sign, a romantic situation, something that bothers you? Is there urgency to stopping, annoyance or just a polite request? All of this influences which Spanish word to use, how to use it and what volume of voice you will […]

Spanish Slang Resources & Essentials

Learn Spanish Slang If you’ve been studying Spanish and want to sound more like a native speaker, learning slang in Spanish is essential. Spanish slang adds a colorful and vibrant layer to the language, allowing you to connect with locals, understand popular culture, and navigate casual conversations like a pro. Are you ready to take […]

How To Say Jeep In Spanish

Both jeepeta or yipeta mean all terrain vehicle, usually a Jeep but really it can be any off-road vehicle including an ATV or quad. Why is it important to know how to say Jeep in Spanish? Because you don’t want to miss out on the fun. Jeeps: The yipeta or jeepeta meaning – Jeeps are […]

What Does CUNDINA Mean In Spanish?

A cundina or tanda is a money pool that forces individuals to save money, it is believed to be a global practice started by immigrants from Mexico to help them save more money than what they would have otherwise. A cundina specifically describes a type of savings group among a group of people. Cundina are […]

What Does MOJÓN Mean In Puerto Rico?

When you are looking for what is a mojón in Puerto Rican Spanish, the most common meaning is a ‘turd’. This may be an insult to someone, the actual, physical turd (from poopoing) or even may refer to a beach in Guánica, Puerto Rico. This is one of those Spanish words that changed meaning over […]

12 Popular Latin Music and Dance Styles

Latin music and dance styles have captivated audiences around the world with their infectious rhythms and vibrant movements. From the sultry sounds of salsa to the energetic beats of reggaeton, Latin music has a rich and diverse history that reflects the cultural fusion of the Americas. Explore 12 of the most popular Latin music and […]

3 Websites to Learn and Practice Spanish Without Spending a Penny

A tight budget doesn’t need to be your reason for not learning Spanish. Luckily, there are some great free tools available to help you practice and hone your skills. Whether it’s learning a few words every day with an app that uses spaced repetition, picking up new phrases from an online community, or mastering your […]

The Best Free Spanish Podcasts

The podcast was invented in 2004 by MTV video jockey Adam Curry, and years later, it has become a global phenomenon. Portable and often ad-free, podcasts have become an incredibly popular audio source of education, entertainment, and news. So, chances are, you probably already understand the undeniable appeal and the beauty of the podcast, but […]

Spanish Listening Comprehension Resources

One of our Spanish Teacher Community members asked for Spanish listening comprehension resources: “I am looking for authentic listening activities for both lower level and intermediate level students. Ideally, I would love some listening activities which come with comprehension or expansion questions. Also, for the purposes of differentiation, I would like the script, so that […]

CABALLO vs CABALLERO: An Embarrassing Spanish Speaking Lesson

In Spanish, a lot of words may be altered slightly with diminutives or colloquialisms and still mean more or less the same thing, for example with “galleta” (cookie/cracker) and “galletita” (little cookie/cracker”). Chileans, in particular, are famous for their -itos. It is then understandable that one might confuse the words “caballo” and “caballero” and assume […]

7 Must-Have Books for Spanish Learners

In bookstores, I just drool over the foreign language reference section (as my recent visit to Powell’s books proves). Any visit requires me to pass through the language learning materials, peruse and dream of my next language. Chinese, Arabic, Italian all interest me. As do Catalan, Basque, Korean, and several others. I plan on tackling […]

Learning Spanish Slang: 4 Ways to Say FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS

Sex, love and everything in between can be tricky to describe in any language and Spanish is no exception. Each country seems to have its own slang for that gray area that in English is referred to as “friends with benefits” or, if you are feeling crass, fuck-buddies. Here are a few Spanish synonyms from […]

CAGAR vs CARGAR: An Embarrassing Spanish Speaking Lesson

When you are learning a language, it is easy to brush off certain things as unimportant. You simply want to get your point across, so you can’t waste time trying to perfect every aspect of your speech when you need to communicate. Usually, this is fine and with enough context, you will be understood, more […]

A Slice of the Spanish Pie: 8 Spanish Language Words for SLICE

You would think a word as simple as slice would have only one translation. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The noun SLICE in Spanish has seemingly countless translations, each one is specific to whatever you are slicing. Here are a few of the more common translations: 1. Trozo Used for slices of cake or […]

A Funny Story About the Spanish Language Word BOMBA

Now, if you are looking at the word BOMBA in Spanish for the first time or even as someone who has studied Spanish for years, you are probably thinking it means “bomb”. Well, that is correct. Most of the time. I studied Spanish for several years before I headed to Mexico. I was pretty confident […]

Learn Spanish: 4 Ways to Say STRAIGHT AHEAD in Spanish

Straight ahead, go straight, forward. They all mean keep going in the same direction you are currently facing. What about recto, directo, de frente, p’alante, t’o tieso and derecho? Any guess as to their meaning? These are some Spanish synonyms for… You got it: Straight ahead. Good guess. Was it the title of the post […]

Best Apps for Spanish Class

There’s never enough time in class to give your students all the practice they need. But what if each student could have a personal tutor? … And that’s exactly the promise of smartphone apps. You already know that there are ~~hundreds~~ thousands of apps available for practicing Spanish. But it can be time-consuming to find […]

Should You Learn Spanish in Puerto Rico?

UPDATE: Read an opposite view to this blog post at Learn Spanish in Puerto Rico: Immersion Program ISLAShould you Study Spanish in Puerto Rico? When asked my opinion about studying Spanish in Puerto Rico I answer truthfully. “Do not study Spanish in Puerto Rico.” I often say this in Puerto Rico, surrounded by Puerto Ricans. […]

Learn Spanish Quiz: Puerto Rican Spanish ZAFACÓN

I ran across this street sign walking around one day. I find it entertaining for its ornate writing and that someone put so much care into creating the sign, then decided to post it on the street. For anyone having problems reading the sign it says “Deposita La Basura al Safacón” It also happens to […]

7 Ways to Add Spanish to Your Life [INFOGRAPHIC]

If you are learning Spanish think about infusing your daily life with it. Here are some quick and easy ideas to immerse into Spanish while doing your regular daily routines. 1. CHANGE YOUR SMART PHONE AND TABLET TO SPANISH. All the app icons that you look at every day will now have a new meaning for […]

AL REVÉS: How to Translate This Spanish Phrase to English

So I’m getting dressed the other day. I slip on the undies and my wife says: Tienes los calzoncillos al revés. I immediately assumed they were backwards. Namely, that the label side was in the front and the normal front part of the underwear, in the back. And here’s where we ran into a language […]

Barron’s Spanish Verbs Book Through Time

Recently in Portland, Oregon on my honeymoon I stopped in at one of the world’s most entertaining places: Powell’s bookstore. For anyone that has never been it is a must-see before you kick the bucket. Me being me, I ran directly to the Red Room, second floor. That’s the language section. As any vain author […]

10 Funny Product Names from the Supermarket: My Fun Spanish Lesson in Central America

Here is a collection of product names in Spanish I found on a recent trip to the Western Caribbean. Throughout a 10-year career in Marketing, I experienced the importance of establishing a strong brand name. These products names are catchy and funny and now that I am more aware of the differences of Spanish languages […]

Learning Spanish Lessons: The Distinction Between PARECER and PARECERSE

Parecer and parecerse a both mean “to resemble” or “to look like” but they cannot be used interchangeably. Parecer is used to describe the appearance of something, such as “He looks like a teacher” while parecerse is used to compare between items, such as “He looks like my teacher Mr. Sanchez.” or to give an […]

Learn Spanish: Translating BUT to Spanish with PERO and SINO / SINO QUE

The words pero and sino both translate to “but.” However, they cannot be used interchangeably. Pero is used when you are looking to convey “nevertheless” or “yet.” Examples: Estaba muy cansada, pero no me dormí. (I didn’t fall asleep, but I was very tired.) No tenemos gaseosa, pero tenemos limonada. (We don’t have soda, but […]

English to Spanish Translations: 3 Ways TO MOVE in Spanish

This post is part of the series Warming up for El Día E: Posts to Improve Your Spanish. El Día E is a world-wide celebration of the Spanish Language that will take place on June 23th, 2012. Posts in this series to celebrate El Día E: 1. Join the Celebration of El Día E 2. […]

4 Strategies to Learn Spanish Slang Abroad

A couple of weeks ago a Speaking Latino follower asked me for advice on how to learn “Puerto Rican Spanish as well as proper Spanish”. He was proactively preparing for a Study Abroad Program in San Juan that will last up to 6 weeks. I privately answered his question, but then I decided that these […]