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15 Additional Popular English Songs in Spanish

After the success of the first post Singing Latino: 12 Popular English Songs in Spanish, a sequel became mandatory. Here I feature 15 additional English songs with their Spanish versions, plus a Spanglish “bonus track”. To listen to a demo of each version, click on each MP3 link and conclude if it’s a good Spanish […]

Learn Spanish: 4 Meanings of RIGHT in Spanish

There are several words/phrases that translate to RIGHT in Spanish: derecho, derecha, correcto, and tener razón. Of course, not all of them can be used interchangeably – that would just be too easy. Here are the Spanish word for RIGHT most common options right. 1. Right in Spanish: DERECHO El derecho, used as a noun, […]

The Worst English to Spanish Translation for HOT

In English, the word “hot” can refer to temperature, spiciness or to attractiveness. The word for “hot” in Spanish, in reference to temperature is caliente, which also has more than one meaning. Just not the same meanings as in English. So, check out this story that teaches you which is the most embarrassing English to […]

6 Spanish Slang Phrases Using the Word HORSE

In English, we say, “horsing around” to mean behaving foolishly.  Then there’s the old stand-by “a horse of a different color,” which means “something entirely different.” Interestingly, Spanish has only a few similar sayings (called modismos) that refer directly to the horse, el caballo. Considering that the Spanish took over all of Mexico, Central and […]

Spelling Spanish Words: Language Mistakes That Even Natives Make

Overall, spelling in Spanish is pretty straightforward and easy. It’s one of the many reasons I love Spanish. If you can pronounce a word in Spanish, you can generally spell it correctly. However, there are a few common mistakes. Interestingly enough, these are more often made by native speakers than those who study Spanish as […]

Learn Spanish: Using Diminutives in Spanish

The most common ending for dimunutives is ito/ita. However, in certain countries, you will also see ico/ica when the last letter of the affected word is a ‘t.’ Other endings include: illo/illa, ín/ina, ete/eta. The use of diminutives in Spanish often indicates that something is small. For example, gato is cat, so gatito is a […]

Learn Spanish: When to Use the Spanish Preterite and Imperfect Tenses

One of the many confusing hurdles about the Spanish language is that it has certain rules that are often not clear when described to native English speakers since no equivalent exists. A good example of this would be the two different forms of the past tense, the preterite and the imperfect. While it is unfortunate […]

3 Words for TO GROW in Spanish

The words cultivar, crecer, and madurar all mean to grow in Spanish but are used in different contexts. Let’s take a look. • Cultivar is used for plants. For example, “En mi jardín, cultivo tomates, albahaca y cebollas” translates to “In my garden, I grow tomatoes, basil, and onions.” • Crecer, on the other hand, […]

English to Spanish Translations of 50 European Countries

I’ve never understood why the whole world doesn’t just call each country by the same word the natives use, but the fact of the matter is that every language has a different name for every country. This can be very frustrating when you are trying to talk about politics, sports, geography, etc. with country names […]

6 Classic Board Games With Their English Names in Spanish

The other day, I spent some time in a department store in Cozumel, Mexico. While wandering through the shelves, I stopped by the toy section where they had a great selection of board games… in Spanish! But don’t worry if you encounter a situation where you need to buy a game in a Spanish-speaking country, […]

Learn Spanish Quiz: Avon’s Basic Spanish Lesson on Accent Rules

After five years working for Avon, I’m definitely hooked on their products. So the other day I went to their store in Miami to stock up with some of my favorites. At the entrance there was this sign with their return and exchange policies. Guessing what’s wrong with this sign is easy. If you don’t […]

What is the Best English to Spanish Translation for EMBARRASSING?

What is the Best English to Spanish Translation for embarrassing? Check this out. You may know a little about false friends, words that look and/or sound like a word in English but actually mean something totally different. Embarazada is one of those words. Novice speakers often make mistakes when speaking and then quickly try to […]

Cosmo Test: How Much Do You Know About Spanish Slang?

Face it. Don’t deny that at least once in your life you have done a quiz from Cosmopolitan magazine. I used to work for a beauty company that places regular ads in Cosmopolitan, and they gave us complementary magazines every month. So in every issue they featured a Cosmo Test, a quiz or personality test […]

Friday the 13th or Martes 13: Your Bad Luck Day Depends On the Language

Today is Tuesday March 13th, 2012 and it is a common day to most English speakers. But if you live in a Spanish speaking country today is Martes 13, día de la mala suerte or the equivalent to Friday the 13th. It is curious that this “bad luck day” superstition changes depending on the country. […]

Is Dating a Spanish Speaker a Good Way to Learn Spanish?

Many people, especially those who hate textbooks and studying, are sure that finding a Spanish speaking significant other is the key to learning the language. As someone who learned my Spanish in school and then perfected it while living abroad, I can answer this question for you. It Depends Sorry, I’m sure you were hoping […]

Beauty Products Vocabulary: Translating Spanish to English Words

Finding beauty supplies in an unfamiliar place is bad enough, but have you ever considered how difficult it would be to explain what hair conditioner is with limited vocabulary? It would be a lot easier if you just memorize the words for a few key items you might need while shopping in a Spanish speaking […]

76 Classic Cartoon Character Names in Spanish

Pitufina, Robotina, Mandibulín, Pablo Mármol and Tío Rico McPato… do you recognize any of those names? They were some of the cartoon characters I grew up with. Before VHS recorders, computers, 24-hour television programming and the Cartoon Network, I grew up watching animated programs after school and on Saturday mornings. What we call in Puerto […]

8 Examples of Spanish Language Words With One Letter Difference

When learning a new language, it can be frustrating when you believe you are saying things correctly yet for some reason cannot make yourself understood. Living in Argentina, I have heard foreign friends say “oh they are just pretending not to understand me because they know I am foreign” or something along those lines more […]

Language Learning: Spanish Phrases and Usages of the Word PAPA

Yes, SEVEN meanings with just the four letters P-A-P-A. And if you mix in a couple other words with PAPA then there are even more. In a recent article Ignore These 5 Fundamentals to Become Fluent Faster I stated that beginning Spanish learners should ignore the El/La articles on nouns, as well as the accents […]

Spanish NFL Infographic: English Names in Spanish of The NFL Teams

Last weekend I was trapped in a Sunday Football get-together. All the Americans were hypnotized watching the game and between commercial breaks, I was able to chat with a friend from Mexico. She asked me if I have ever heard the names of the NFL teams in Spanish. I was completely puzzled, because for me […]

LOS COLORES DE MI TIERRA: Video and Song to Learn Colors in Spanish Plus 7 Other Words

Before YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, a famous house paint commercial from Puerto Rico became viral locally during the 1990’s. To promote their company, Harris Paints created a song with Caribbean rhythms and a patriotic lyric coupled with images of colorful splashes of paints. Frequency and a captive audience ensured this song stuck in the minds […]

Spanish Language Word GORDO: Insult, Compliment or None of the Above?

The word “gordo” is translated as “fat” so you would think there wouldn’t be much room for discussion about this word. But hey, this is Spanish and simple words are often a lot more versatile then they seem. Gordo in Spanish doesn’t always have to refer to weight. In some Latin American countries, people will […]

3 Learning Aids That Helps Kids Speak Spanish… And Adults Too!

I have taught Spanish to children as young as 3 and to adults well past retirement. I certainly use different materials and approaches based on their ages, but when it comes to beginners, there are a few things I believe work for all age groups. So, adults too should use materials for children to learn […]

15 Spanish Words and Phrases to Understand Three Kings Day

For Latin America, Christmas Holidays does not end on December 25th with the celebration of the birth of Baby Jesus and Santa Claus bringing gifts to children. In fact, this is just the beginning because twelve days after Christmas, we celebrate El Día de Reyes on January 6th. This day is also known as the […]

A Basic Spanish Lesson on Conjugating Verbs Like GUSTAR

The verb GUSTAR and other verbs like GUSTAR confuse many Spanish students because these sort of verbs do not really exist in English. The literal translation of GUSTAR is “to please” which is unfortunate for anyone who has to teach high school Spanish as you will have to tell them the way to say “I […]

italki Review and Tutorial: Learn Spanish Online With italki

Honest Product Review: italki I truly believe that italki is one of the best tools to learn Spanish (or any language) available on the internet. Not only does it offer you lots of free functions, it makes hiring a professional teacher simple and effective. Not into spending money to learn Spanish? Here’s why that is a […]