Vocabulary
Post teaching new vocabulary.
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in Culture, Mexico, Spanish, Vocabulary
Diminutives for Food in Mexican Spanish
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If you spend time in Mexico, you will hear diminutives everywhere — and food is one of the favorite places to find them. Un cafecito, unos huevitos, tómate tu lechita, un pastelito, unas tortillitas calientitas… these little endings do a lot of work. They sometimes mean size, but often they mean something else: friendliness, politeness, […] More
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Generic Names of Animals in Spanish
In Spanish, nouns have a gender: masculine or feminine. For students, it can be strange when animals are sometimes “he” or “she” by default. For example, in English we say the spider, and it can be male or female, but in Spanish it is always la araña (feminine). On the other hand, el pez, el […] More
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in Culture, Mexico, Spanish, Translation, Vocabulary
Notario Público vs. Notary Public: A World of Difference
Notario Público When Spanish-speaking students first come across the term Notario Público, they are often tempted to translate it directly as Notary Public. After all, the words look the same, and in both cases we are talking about someone who signs and stamps legal documents. But the truth is that the role of a Notario […] More
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in Spanish, Translation, Vocabulary
Pasado Mañana: When “Past” Actually Means the Future
For many English speakers learning Spanish, the phrase pasado mañana is one of those expressions that makes them stop and think: “Wait a second, why does it mean the day after tomorrow if pasado usually means past?” It looks like it should refer to something that already happened, but in Spanish it actually points to […] More
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10 Expressions That Are Not Easy to Figure Out. El Torito.
One of the most confusing but also most fun parts of learning Spanish is discovering expressions that don’t make sense when you try to translate them word for word. Mexican Spanish in particular has many colloquial sayings that students hear in daily on TV show conversations but that are not easy to figure out at […] More
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in Culture, Funny, Spanish, Vocabulary
Fulano, Mengano and Zutano: The Mysterious and Funny Names of Nobody
If you study Spanish long enough, sooner or later you will hear the words Fulano, Mengano and Zutano. These names don’t really belong to anybody, but they are used to talk about a person without saying the real name, or when the name is not important. For example, someone can say “Fulano me dijo que…” […] More
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Carrazo 2.0: Spanish words that end with -azo
Almost 20 years ago we posted about -azo / -aza on SpanishNY. This is the updated version. In Spanish, this ending can mean bigger/awesome, or it can mean a hit/blow with something. There isn’t a perfect one-word match in English, so the best way is to learn it by examples. “Bigger / awesome” uses Spanish […] More
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in Funny, Mexico, News, Translation, Vocabulary
Decoding Governor Newsom’s Tweet: “Vete a la Chingada” Explained
Students of Spanish often encounter phrases that carry a much deeper meaning than their literal translation, and Governor Newsom’s recent tweet, “Vete a la Chingada,” is a good example. While it is a highly offensive expression in many contexts, its use in this particular political situation takes on a nuanced, “playful trolling” tone, which is […] More
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in Grammar, Mexico, Video, Vocabulary
María Inés, a famous telenovela character
A Little Background on Mirada de Mujer Mirada de Mujer is one of those Mexican telenovelas that really changed the way people looked at the genre. It aired from 1997 to 1998 on TV Azteca and was produced by Argos Televisión. With Angélica Aragón in the role of María Inés, it became an unforgettable story. […] More
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in Culture, Spanish, Translation, Vocabulary
Tocayo, tocaya: More Than Just Sharing a Name
In Spanish, tocayo is a warm and friendly word you use when someone has the same first name as you. It’s like saying “name twin” in English, but with more charm. If your name is Carlos and you meet another Carlos, you can greet him with “¡Hola, tocayo!” and maybe even smile like you’ve known […] More
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in Grammar, Spanish, Translation, Vocabulary
Ser and Estar: Your Essential Spanish Guide
Learning Spanish can be a wonderful and challenging task. One of the most common difficulties for students is knowing when to use the verbs Ser and Estar. Both translate to “to be” in English, but they have very different uses in Spanish. Don’t worry, by the end of this post, you’ll have a clearer idea! […] More
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in Culture, Grammar, Spanish, Translation, Vocabulary
Madrugar — and the Beautiful Word Madrugada
In Spanish, madrugar means “to wake up very early in the morning.” At first, it sounds simple — just wake up early, right? But this word is more than a clock time. It carries a cultural feeling: starting your day before most people are even thinking about coffee. The word comes from madrugada, which is […] More
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