If you are a parent of a middle school kid looking for stories to connect him/her to the Hispanic culture, check out these Kids Spanish Books options. These books are ideal for kids that speak Spanish as a first language between the grades of 6th to 8th. These titles are also available in English for […]
The Hit Parade of 17 Christmas Songs in Spanish from Puerto Rico
In a previous article we discussed what a Puerto Rican parranda is and the popular musical instruments used by the parranderos. After you are already set up and equipped your group, you need a list of traditional Puerto Rican songs. There are plenty of songs that range from religious, passing by, preparing a lechón (ping) to getting drunk with rum. There are […]
Top 9 Reasons Why People Learn Spanish in San Juan, Puerto Rico
The Caribbean island of Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth of the Unites States where Spanish is the official language. This and many others reasons make San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, a good destination to learn Spanish. Sacha Delgado, owner of the Institute for Spanish Language Acquisition (I.S.L.A.), chatted with Speaking Latino and tell […]
Hispanic Flags With Similar Flags Around the World
Last week a terrible ruckus was formed when a manipulated video of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro supposedly confusing the Cuban and Puerto Rican flags circulated on the web. To add more to the mess, the Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin retweeted the video, an action that angered Venezuelans even more. Finally, the singer had to […]
The Spanish Slang to English Dictionary List by Country
There are many Spanish slang dictionaries in Spanish, but when you are looking for a specific Spanish slang to English dictionary the options are more limited. This is a work-in-progress list of bilingual Spanish Slang to English dictionaries by country. My goal is to feature all the dictionaries available in print or eBook format as […]
COMO GUINEO EN BOCA DE VIEJA: Puerto Rican Spanish Street Slang Phrase
One of the most hilarious Spanish street slang phrases used in Puerto Rico is como guineo en boca de vieja. This Puerto Rican Spanish expression literally translates to “like a banana in an old lady’s mouth” and means “to pass easily without force.” When using this phrase it needs to be preceded by a verb, […]
The Spanish Language Phrase FELIZ COMO UNA LOMBRIZ in English
You will hear the Spanish language phrase feliz como una lombriz in Latin America. This expression literally translates to “happy as an earthworm.” But the correct way to say feliz como una lombriz in English is by using the phrase “happy as a clam.” In my opinion, this is one expression that sounds better in […]
The List of School Supplies in Spanish That Needs to Go Back to School
It’s back to school time! During my school years, I remember that the list of school supplies and books was long. My mom’s favorite place to get everything at the best prices was in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. Today the dynamic has changed a little and we have mega stores in Puerto Rico that open […]
Mexican Spanish Slang Dictionary: The 4 Best Options in Spanish
Even if you are a native Spanish speaker or you have achieved Spanish fluency, semantic or vocabulary differences among countries will always be a challenge. Whatever your reasons -maybe you will be soon moving to Mexico, or you are getting involved in a romantic relationship with a Mexican you sometimes struggle to understand, or perhaps […]
Baby Books in Spanish: Authentic Learning and Cultural Resources
Many teachers are always on the lookout for authentic learning resources for their classroom. Baby books in Spanish are a fantastic way of introducing or reiterating grammar concepts and vocabulary since repetition is a predominant characteristic of baby books, in general. Since knowledge may be learned through repetition, baby books make a great resource, no […]
How to Create Fun Spanish Lesson Plans
Creating fun Spanish lesson plans can be a complicated process especially when you are trying to create meaningful lesson plans as well. To make sure you have a complete, and effective lesson plan, it is necessary that you create your objectives for the lesson. What should the students be able to do after the lesson? […]
A Step by Step Spanish Greetings Lesson
A Spanish greetings lesson is usually one of the first things done at the beginning of a novice Spanish class. Spanish greetings are usually taught as vocabulary words, but why not try to create a bit more excitement? Think about this from the viewpoint of a brand-new learner of Spanish. These greetings are the first […]
COMO SAPO DE LETRINA: Puerto Rican Spanish Slang Expression
If you happen to visit Puerto Rico, you surely will try some of the local food. And at some point, I guarantee that you will overeat mofongo, rice and beans or one of the many fried foods. At that point you will need a local phrase to express how you feel, and that phrase is: […]
Translating SIN LA SOGA Y SIN LA CABRA Spanish Phrase to English
Translating a Spanish Phrase to English: SIN LA SOGA Y SIN LA CABRA Literal: To remain without the rope and without the goat Definition: A person that tries to take or grab too much, and ends up with nothing Similar Spanish Phrases: Quedarse sin el plato y la comida Equivalent in English: Bite off more […]
Learn Spanish in Puerto Rico: Immersion Program ISLA
A while ago Jared published Speaking Latino’s most controversial post ever –Should You Learn Spanish in Puerto Rico?– where he questions if Puerto Rico is a good destination to learn Spanish. Obviously that is his opinion and I (and many others readers) don’t agree with it. So, now is my time to share my point […]
11 Spanish Words for DRINKING STRAW: Infographic
If you are looking for how do you say drinking straw in Spanish the easiest word to start with is pajita, used in Spain and a few other countries. However, beware! pajita in other countries can be a vulgar term and does not mean straw. More on that below. How you say straw in Spanish is […]
Decoding a Cuban Menu: 14 Cuban Spanish Food Words And Dishes
Some time ago, Jared and I took a food tour in Little Havana, Miami. The experience was great because we were able to taste the wonderful Cuban food and learn about the history of Little Havana. Since I’m Puerto Rican I knew I was going to find many similar ingredients, such as the plantain, the […]
How to Say AMERICAN With 9 Spanish and Spanish Slang Words: Infographic
If we want to make a list of demonyms in Spanish and cover all the Spanish-speaking countries we could list some examples such as: Puerto Ricans are called Puertorriqueños or Boricuas, Costa Ricans are know by Costa Ricans or Ticos and the Nicaraguans are Nicaraguences or Nicas. But when Latinos refer to Americans, the list […]
ME CAGO EN NA: Puerto Rican Spanish Slang Expression
The Puerto Rican Spanish slang expression me cago en ná (pronounced me ca we ná) is one of the most common swear phrases you will hear from the mouths of locals. Me cago en ná is the colloquial pronunciation of me cago en nada and it’s a mild expression that means “dam!” or “shit!” Puerto […]
4 Multi-Country Spanish Slang Dictionaries to Improve Your Vocabulary
If you work or live in a multi-cultural environment you probably experience difficulty understanding what other people say. Do not worry, this happens even with native Spanish-speakers! There are dictionaries that collect colloquial vocabulary from several countries in one book. These are ideal to compare meanings of a word and know which countries share it. […]
16 Venezuela Spanish Slang Terms About Politics
This year has been very controversial in Venezuelan politics with the elections after the death of President Hugo Chavez. When all this was happening, I was reviewing the books Quick Guide to Venezuelan Spanish and Quick Guide to More Venezuelan Spanish. Among the words that caught my attention were several colloquialisms related to politics, government […]
25 Goofy Spanish Similes with the Word NUN
One of the funniest types of Spanish language idioms are the ones that uses similes or comparisons. The Wikipedia definition of a simile is “a figure of speech that directly compares two things through some connective, usually like, as, than, or a verb such as resembles.” The use of a nun or monja as a […]
Puerto Rican Spanish: RIVERSA or REVERSA?
Take a look at the photo of this sign I took recently in Puerto Rico that reads NO ESTACIONE EN RIVERSA. Instead of riversa the correct Spanish word should be reversa. The use of the word riversa is a good example that shows two characteristics of the Puerto Rican Spanish: 1. The use of words […]
8 Mexican Spanish Slang Words for Places and People
Demonym or gentilic is the name given to people living in a village, town, city or country. Usually it is derived from the name of the same town. For example, the demonym of the people from Mexico is Mexican. While reading the books Quick Guide to Mexican Spanish and Quick Guide to More Mexican Spanish […]
Free Printable List of School Supplies in Spanish and English: 36 Basic Items
This printable list of school supplies in Spanish and English is as an example of the Spanish vocabulary diversity. Many items have different Spanish names.
LIKE A FISH OUT OF WATER: English Phrase in Spanish
Have you ever felt out of place? If you want to express that feeling in Spanish you can use the phrase “fuera de lugar.” But that phrase sound a bit formal and serious. Here are two ways you can translate “like a fish out of water” maintaining the English phrase in Spanish. 1. Como sapo […]
Need a Mexican Spanish Slang to English Dictionary? Here Are 3 Bilingual Options
If you are traveling to Mexico to study or live you will need extra help with their local vocabulary even if you are already fluent in Spanish. Spanish vocabulary changes significantly from one country to the next and Mexico is not the exception. Yet, few people learn about this until they are in a country, […]
The Spanish Slang Meanings of CHUPI: Thalía’s Spanish Children Book Character
Last week Mexican singer Thalía announced that she will publish her first children’s book this year. The book –available in November 2013- is called Chupi: El binky que regresó a su hogar (Chupi: The Binky That Returned Home). The story and the character Chupi were created to help parents take away the pacifier from their […]
Spanish Idiomatic Expression CUANDO LAS GALLINAS MEAN in English
Cuando las gallinas mean is a common Spanish idiomatic expression generally said to children when they speak when they are not supposed to. The full Spanish saying goes los niños hablan cuando las gallinas mean and literally translates to “children talk when hens piss.” For anyone that doesn’t know hens doen’t pee and this phrase […]
Celebrate El Día E and The Spanish Language Day
Spanish is the second language in the world in number of native speakers, the second language of international communication (more than 500 million people speak it), and the third most used language on the Internet. To celebrate this vast wealth of Spanish culture, the Instituto Cervantes organizes for the fifth time El Día E, a […]