December 2025

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    Morning, Night, and Everything in Between: Mañana, Noche, Tarde… and Their Diminutives

    Nochecita by Reddit BlueFlameBuckthorn

    Spanish students usually learn mañana, tarde, and noche very early. They look simple, but in real Spanish, especially in Mexico, these words change a lot with diminutives and set expressions. Mañanita, tardecita, and nochecita are not just “smaller” versions. They carry time, mood, and sometimes intention. This post tries to clarify those differences in a […] More

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    10 Spanish Expressions That Are Not So Easy to Figure Out

    Chuchulucos. Candy of many colors.

    More expressions that confuse Spanish students Spanish expression Literal translation Real meaning in English estar amolado (Mexico) to be ground down / worn to be broke, in trouble, or in a bad situation ser maleta to be a suitcase to be bad at something, clumsy, or useless at a task chuchulucos (Mexico) little trinkets / […] More

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    Chopped Spanish — common spoken shortenings you’ll hear everywhere

    Vente pa'ca. Ricky Martin song advertisement.

    Spanish that is not in the books, but that exists in everyday casual speech In casual Spanish, people shorten words all the time. They move fast, they like rhythm, and they often drop syllables — especially para, está, estoy, espera, and nada. These shortened forms are normal in conversation but usually not written (except in […] More