Sign language varies geographically and therefore there is no universal sign language. This means that mute people around the world learn different sign languages to communicate. In the case of the sign language in Spanish, it also varies by country which is the exact same thing that happens with spoken and written Spanish. Each country […]
The Spanish Sign Language Alphabet
Origin of the Spanish Sign Language Alphabet According to a document published by Cultura Sorda.eu, author Alejandro Oviedo indicates that “in most of the countries whose official languages are written with the Latin alphabet, deaf communities use the same manual alphabet. Although there are some differences between them, most manual settings used to represent the […]
Cool Puerto Rican Spanish Lesson: Audios and Videos of 18 Common Words
For my fellow brothers and sisters from Puerto Rico that want to learn more about our unique vocabulary, and the others who are wondering what are those goofy words we use sometimes, here is a cool sample of some of our common Spanish words. The following Puerto Rican Spanish audio clips are from a radio […]
Nombres de Bebés de Puerto Rico: Nombres modernos, creativos y únicos de la Isla del Encanto
Esta es la introducción del libro Nombres de bebés de Puerto Rico: Nombres modernos, creativos y únicos de la Isla del Encanto. Nombres de Bebés de Puerto Rico Si visitas o vives en la Isla del Encanto, puede que te hayas dado cuenta de que los nombres de muchos jóvenes no los has escuchado antes. […]
6 Venezuela Spanish Words to Order Coffee: Infographic
My brother-in-law is a coffee lover. He even has his own personal coffee brewing travel kit that he always has on the road. He is also an American who learned Spanish in recent years. If he ever travels to Venezuela, I am sure he would have problems ordering his beloved beverage because there are a […]
¿Qué Representan los Personajes de Mafalda?
The following article is part of the Spanish Friday initiative that promotes blogging in Spanish. El siguiente artículo es parte de la iniciativa Spanish Friday que promueve el blogueo en español. Artículos en la serie Mafalda: • Parte 1 | Breve historia de Mafalda y Quino • Parte 2 | La voz de Mafalda • […]
6 Asuntos Político-Sociales en la Voz de Mafalda
The following article is part of the Spanish Friday initiative that promotes blogging in Spanish. El siguiente artículo es parte de la iniciativa Spanish Friday que promueve el blogueo en español. Artículos en la serie Mafalda: • Parte 1 | Breve historia de Mafalda y Quino • Parte 2 | La voz de Mafalda • […]
Fun Facts About Spanish: A Day of Spanish Language Infographics
There is a big party going on! A celebration of 500 million people and 22 countries that speak Spanish! April 23rd is the International Spanish Language Day or Día Mundial del Idioma Español, a celebration that has been going on since 1926. This date marks the death of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, author of El […]
Breve Historia de Mafalda y Quino
The following article is part of the Spanish Friday initiative that promotes blogging in Spanish. El siguiente artículo es parte de la iniciativa Spanish Friday que promueve el blogueo en español. Artículos en la serie Mafalda: • Parte 1 | Breve historia de Mafalda y Quino • Parte 2 | La voz de Mafalda • […]
All about Latina Barbie Dolls
Recently, Mattel honored the late and legendary Mexican actress María Félix with a special new Barbie. The Mária Félix Barbie doll celebrates her legacy, contribution to Mexican cinema and cultural betterment, and her advocacy for women’s equality and indigenous groups. It seems that this time around, critics think Mattel finally landed on a more accepted […]
Los recuerdos de Esmeralda Santiago en “Cuando era puertorriqueña”
La vida de Esmeralda Santiago es narrada desde el inocente punto de vista de una niña que va desarrollándose hasta ser una “señorita” (adolescente) valiéndose de preguntas que a lo largo de la lectura van obteniendo respuestas y van formando la identidad de ser puertorriqueño.
LA MONGA: Puerto Rican Spanish Slang Word for Cold
I spent this past weekend really sick with la monga. Whether you are a Spanish-speaker or not, you might be wondering, What the hell is la monga? Is it contagious? YES. Is it life threatening? NO. La monga or simply monga is the Puerto Rican Spanish slang for a strong cold. According to the Tesoro Lexicográfico […]
Cuando era puertorriqueña: El dilema de la identidad boricua
The following article is part of the Spanish Friday initiative that promotes blogging in Spanish. El siguiente artículo es parte de la iniciativa Spanish Friday que promueve el blogueo en español. Artículos en la serie Cuando era puertorriqueña: • Parte 1 | ¿Quién es Esmeralda Santiago? • Parte 2 | Cuando Esmeralda Santiago era puertorriqueña […]
8 ejemplos de realismo mágico en “Como agua para chocolate”
The following article is part of the Spanish Friday initiative that promotes blogging in Spanish. El siguiente artículo es parte de la iniciativa Spanish Friday que promueve el blogueo en español. Artículos en la serie Como agua para chocolate: • Parte 1 | Como agua para chocolate: Un dicho mexicano hecho novela • Parte 2 […]
12 Peru Spanish Slang Words from Proper Names
While reviewing the book Quick Guide to Peruvian Spanish some cool Peru Spanish slang terms caught my attention. These terms are proper names that have taken on another meaning in the local Spanish. Knowing these phrases, when you travel to Peru you will avoid getting confused when you hear these names: 12 Proper Names That […]
10 Reverse Peru Spanish Slang Words
Changing the order of the syllables of a word to create a new one is a form of Spanish slang in some countries. In past articles, we have featured a list of 25 lunfardo inverse words from Argentina and also 6 examples of reverse words from Colombia. Going through the book Quick Guide to Peruvian […]
Como agua para chocolate: ¿Qué es realismo mágico?
The following article is part of the Spanish Friday initiative that promotes blogging in Spanish. El siguiente artículo es parte de la iniciativa Spanish Friday que promueve el blogueo en español. Artículos en la serie Como agua para chocolate: • Parte 1 | Como agua para chocolate: Un dicho mexicano hecho novela • Parte 2 […]
Como agua para chocolate: Un dicho mexicano hecho novela
The following article is part of the Spanish Friday initiative that promotes blogging in Spanish. El siguiente artículo es parte de la iniciativa Spanish Friday que promueve el blogueo en español. Artículos en la serie Como agua para chocolate: • Parte 1 | Como agua para chocolate: Un dicho mexicano hecho novela • Parte 2 […]
Avoid These 4 Mistakes in Spanish: Language Learning Videos
The following set of videos were created by the Fundación de Español Urgente (Fundéu) and represent some common basic Spanish mistakes. Inglaterra, Reino Unido y Gran Bretaña no son lo mismo (England, United Kingdom and Great Britain are not the same) Estar «al norte» de un lugar no es estar «en el norte» (The difference […]
4 Short Spanish Language Learning Videos About Confusing Words
Today I will continue sharing more Spanish language learning videos from the Fundación de Español Urgente (Fundéu). The first set of videos that I shared recently were about numbers and numerals in Spanish. Now I have selected four videos of confusing Spanish words that can be tricky to even native speakers. In Spanish there are […]
5 Quick Spanish Language Learning Videos About Numbers
Spanish can be confusing, even for native speakers. When you have mastered counting in Spanish you will need to pay attention to other basic Spanish expression for fractions, numerals, percents, etc. The Fundación de Español Urgente (Fundéu) is a non-profit organization whose “main objective is to promote the proper use of Spanish in the media.” […]
Quick Guide to Colombian Spanish: A Book for Learning Spanish from Colombia
Spanish vocabulary changes significantly from one country to the next. Yet, few people learn about this until they are in a country, stumbling through the local Spanish. Are you learning Spanish? Preparing to visit Colombia? Or even just wanting to be more familiar with its specific slang and local words? This book for learning […]
The 8 Most Clever Spanish Slang Dictionary and Book Titles
Jared and I recently conducted a ton of research about Spanish slang books to put together our Resource Pages by Country and other projects that are coming soon. In the process of evaluating the content included there, I stumbled upon a couple of clever Spanish slang book titles that I think are worth sharing. The […]
17 Spanish Words for POPCORN in Spanish
Eating popcorn is an all time favorite snack at the movies. You can have it salty or sweet or you can even string it as a Christmas decoration or packaging material. But as simple as it sounds when it comes to a Spanish translation it is not easy. Palomitas de maíz is the most common […]
Puerto Rican Words in Spanish for US Currency: Infographic
“Más de un siglo después de uso de la moneda estadounidense, seguimos buscando el peso, tramitando la peseta, pidiendo el medio peso, luchando el vellón, sudando los chavos…” -Luz Nereida Pérez from the book Puerto Rico y el lenguaje Puerto Ricans say chavos instead of dinero Puerto Rico is a United States territory since […]
ALMOJÁBANAS: Puerto Rican Spanish Slang Word for a Rice Flour Fritters
Photo: Puerto Rican Spanish Slang Word for a Rice Flour Fritter Almojábanas are fritters made of rice flour, cheese, Parmesan cheese, milk and egg. This mixture is used to make a dough that is fried in a ball. Other Latin American countries make their own versions of almojábanas with different ingredients, sizes and cooking methods. […]
FRITURAS: The Illustrated Puerto Rican Spanish Guide to Fried Food
If you are talking about frituras (fried treats) you are talking about Puerto Rico. And if you are talking about the frituras de Puerto Rico, you are taking about Los Kioskos de Luquillo. The other day I spent some time at this iconic place on the northeast coast of Puerto Rico. The legendary Luquillo’s Kiosks […]
Navidad en Puerto Rico: Plano Arquitectónico del Lechón a la Varita
Preparar un lechón a la varita es una de las tradiciones de Navidad en Puerto Rico. El lechón a la vara no es solamente una costumbre culinaria puertorriqueña, sino una de las representaciones más comunes de la Navidad boricua ya que se disfruta en una gran fiesta de familia y amigos. A los puertorriqueños nos […]
7 Tips to Learn Easy Spanish with Your iPhone for Free
If you are in the process of learning Spanish and own an iPhone, try to use it in your favor. This handheld powerful mini-computer (a.k.a smart phone) can help you learn easy Spanish while on the go. Statistics indicate that “the average smartphone owner spends 128 minutes, or over 2 hours, looking at their phones […]
9 Musical Instruments Used in Puerto Rican Parrandas [PHOTOS]
Parranda, trulla, asalto… all these Spanish words are synonyms for the same thing in Puerto Rico: a group of people that show up at a house the night singing traditional Christmas songs and having a party. While in other countries parranda is a word meaning to go out to party, in Puerto Rico it is […]