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The Peso and Dollar signs
Have you ever wondered about the origins of the dollar sign? While there are several theories about its creation, one of the most compelling is its connection to the Spanish dollar. The Spanish dollar, also known as the peso or piece of eight, was a widely used currency in the Americas, Asia and Europe in […] More
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Villancicos
Los villancicos son canciones tradicionales de las fiestas navideñas. Todo comenzó en España allá por el siglo XV. Al principio no eran necesariamente canciones de Navidad, pero con el tiempo se convirtieron en indispensables en las fiestas de fin de año. Los españoles le pusieron su toque mágico y pronto se exportaron a Latinomérica, al […] More
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in Culture, Mexico, Translation, Video
La Casa de las Flores: La Película.
These are notes about La Casa de las Flores movie on Netflix. I will try to explain expressions and facts that only not-so-young people from Mexico might understand. Timestamps are approximate, I couldn’t find the setting that indicated the exact current time, just the remaining time is indicated. 00:01. regañar. to yell at, […] More
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About people’s ages
adolescente adolescent, teenager quiceañero, quinceañera quince = fifteen A 15 year old person (or about) veinteañero, veinteañera veinte = twenty a person in his/her 20s treintañero, treintañera treinta = thirty a person in his/her 30s cuarentón, cuarentona (fam) cuarenta = forty a person in his/her 40s cincuentón, cincuentona (fam) cincuenta = fifty a person […] More
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Phone etiquette in several Spanish-speaking countries?
Phone etiquette in several Spanish-speaking countries? We use several different expressions to answer the phone, so when you travel or watch a foreign movie don’t be surprised. It’s not always as simple as hello. I think no other language has a particular way to answer the phone depending on the region. < This table is […] More
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Automóviles
Automobile vocabulary in Spanish. Talking about cars with people from another Spanish speaking countries is sometimes a big headache. The reason is that the vocabulary for this subject changes a bit from country to country for almost every element. In México, auto part names are often Spanglish words. Here are some examples: Mexico Spain […] More
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The Spanish H vs. F in other Romance Languages
There are dozens of examples of words in Spanish that are spelled with a (silent) H, for which you can find at least one cognate in another language that is spelled with F. Most languages followed the original Latin spelling. I don’t like this, haha, why do we have to be different to the […] More
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in Culture, Mexico, Translation, Video
Amores Perros. Lucha de Gigantes.
I saw the film Amores Perros together with one of my students. Below is one of the main soundtrack songs. Its name is Lucha de Gigantes, by the Spanish band Nacha Pop. The actual movie scene is too strong to embed on this website. It’s not for kids and it’s not for many people. […] More
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Beto, Pepe y más.
Here are some examples of diminutives for common Spanish names for men and women. Most of these names are used in Mexico but they may be a little different in other countries. Ale, Alex » Alejandro (Alexander) Beto » Alberto, Roberto Bety » Beatriz Carmela, Carmelita » Carmen Coco » Socorro (women’s) Concha » […] More
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in Culture, Mexico, Translation, Vocabulary
Sample list of translated proper nouns in Spanish
This is a sample list of proper nouns in Spanish. Very often, I speak using proper nouns that I take for granted, but some of my students just can’t figure out what they mean, even during a conversation and in context. Some proper nouns are easy to identify, like Jorge Washington but I’m listing them […] More
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Decir, hablar, contar.
Decir, hablar, contar In English we have to say, to tell, to speak, and to talk. They are confusing to foreign students. The same happens in Spanish. Let me try to outline the differences: Decir: to say or to tell. If the sentence contains an indirect object pronoun, it usually means to tell. She tells […] More
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Actually.
Actually, remember this please English native speakers who are learning almost any other language, including Spanish, please watch out. Your word actual has a very different meaning in almost any other language. Spanish actual current, up-to-the-minute, happening at this time Portuguese atual current, up-to-the-minute, happening at this time French actuel current, up-to-the-minute, happening at this […] More
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