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in Spanish
Morning, Night, and Everything in Between: Mañana, Noche, Tarde… and Their Diminutives
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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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in Spanish
10 Spanish Expressions That Are Not So Easy to Figure Out
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
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
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in Spanish
Masculine Spanish Nouns Ending in “-a” (Including “-ista” Professions)
Many students begin learning Spanish with the general rule that nouns ending in “-a” are feminine.This rule is often true… but there are dozens of very common exceptions, especially words of Greek origin, and also profession nouns ending in -ista, which take masculine or feminine articles depending on the person, but the noun ending never […] More
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10 Expressions You Don’t Learn in Textbooks
Spanish is rich, playful, and full of expressions that even advanced students find mysterious. Many of them don’t mean what the words literally say — and some don’t even make sense if you translate them word by word. Here are ten expressions that many people in Mexico use all the time, with their literal meanings […] More
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in Spanish
“Madre” in Mexican Spanish: Many Uses, Many Meanings
In Mexican Spanish, the word madre (mother) is not just a family term. It has multiplied into dozens of expressions—some friendly, some rude, some surprising. For any Spanish student, understanding the many ways Mexicans use madre will unlock jokes, conversations, even music lyrics that otherwise seem baffling. Because “madre” is so emotionally charged, Mexicans often […] More
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Halloween and “La Noche de Brujas” — Spooky Words in Spanish
Halloween, or La Noche de Brujas in Spanish, is not originally from Latin America, but it’s now celebrated in many Spanish-speaking countries. Children dress up (se disfrazan), go from door to door asking for candy, and people decorate their homes with pumpkins and skeletons. In this post, you’ll find a big list of Halloween-related words […] More
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10 Expressions That Are Hard to Guess
In this post, we explore ten popular expressions that are commonly heard in conversations, on TV, and in everyday life in Mexico. Some of them can be rude or informal, so they must be understood but not necessarily used carelessly. Spanish Expression Literal Translation Equivalent in English ningunear to “no-one” someone To belittle, ignore, treat […] More
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CAMIÓN y CAMIONETA
In the Romance-speaking world, camión simply means a heavy truck. But if you are in Mexico City, the phrase “Voy en el camión” doesn’t mean you are driving a freight vehicle. It could mean you’re on a bus. It’s one of those unique Mexican usages that confuse native Spanish speakers from Spain or Argentina, and […] More
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Híjole: the little Mexican exclamation that has many meanings
If you’ve listened to Mexican Spanish for a while, you’ve probably heard a short, breathy sound that comes out on surprise, irritation, admiration or mild defeat. That little word is híjole (sometimes written hijole, sometimes híjoles), and it’s one of those automatic expressions that people use without thinking. The Real Academia defines híjole as a […] More
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in Culture, Mexico, Spanish, Vocabulary
Diminutives for Food in Mexican Spanish
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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in Spanish
10 Expressions That Are Not Easy to Figure Out. Desmadre
The Spanish you hear on TV in the US is full of expressions that sound confusing for students because their literal meaning has little to do with the real intention. Sometimes these are very colorful, sometimes strong, sometimes playful. They are used every day, and even though they look difficult, once you know them, they […] More
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