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.” […]
28 Spanglish Words: The Best of the Worst
Spanglish has really invaded the Spanish language in basically every Spanish speaking country. While some cross-over is only natural, sometimes the words that pop up in the Spanish vocabulary are just down-right comical. Here’s my personal collection of some of the worst Spanglish words in use. Technology Spanglish Words In the case of gaming […]
4 Spanish Language Words to Express Different Levels of Abuse
While I hope you will never have to talk about serious abuse in Spanish, it’s important to know the difference between the words that refer to abuse, harassment, and basic annoyance. If you’re not careful, you could either over-exaggerate a tame situation or poorly explain a very serious situation. Here are 4 Spanish words you […]
2 Examples of English to Spanish False Friend Words
The definition of false friends according to Wikipedia is “a pairs of words or phrases in two languages or dialects that look or sound similar, but differ significantly in meaning.” Here I will show you two examples of false friend Spanish words that can confuse English speakers: asistir and atender, and sensible and sensato. English […]
Just Kidding! 25 Joke Related Spanish Words You Should Know
Broma or chiste is how to say joke in Spanish – these two words are often used interchangeably when talking about jokes or joking around and the laughing emoji means the same thing in every language. Latinos love to kid around and laugh as much as any other people and they have plenty of words […]
Learn Spanish by Country: For Intermediate and Advanced Spanish Speakers
Are you feeling confident in your beginner level Spanish skills? Ready to take the next step? Excellent! The next step for you is to learn Spanish slang that is specific to certain regions and countries. Did you know that Spanish changes significantly from one country to another? If not, you’re in for a surprise. Not […]
Learn Spanish: 4 Meanings of PLAY in Spanish
There are several basic Spanish words that translate “play” and each of them has their own specific use. This quick post will give you a general understanding of the different meanings of “play” in Spanish. 1. To play means tocar Tocar can also mean “to touch” but in this particular case, tocar is used when […]
English to Spanish Conversion of 14 Movie Titles That Went Wrong
When it comes to translations, there is always room for error. I won’t even begin to talk about some of the terrible dubbing or subtitling I have seen – but let’s look at some titles. You’d think the people in charge of these things would be a little more focused on conveying the right message, […]
Learning Spanish, Culture and Language: 26 SANTERÍA Vocabulary Words
Santería is a religion that merges beliefs from Roman Catholic Christianity and Yoruba. It is practiced mostly in West Africa and the Caribbean. Many Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Cubans practice Santería. Like any religion, it has unique rituals, ceremonies, and, of course, vocabulary. Here’s a quick guide to some of the words you might encounter […]
Spanish Language and the Media: 27 Headlines With Spanish Slang
This is the second part of our series Slang in the News where we share Spanish slang examples from newspapers around Latin America. In this post of headlines from September, I identify 29 Spanish slang words from 27 newspaper front covers. Using slang in headlines makes them catchy and appealing to the masses. Writing a […]
5 Ways to Lose the Gringo Accent in Spanish
You can study Spanish for years and still maintain that pesky gringo accent. Even if your grammar is perfect, if your accent is off, you’re going to have problems. The best-case scenario is that the gringo accent will be distracting, while the worst case is that it will be so off that native speakers will […]
Should You Learn French and Spanish?
Many people come to a point in their education when they question if they should learn French and Spanish. While I am obviously a bit biased, I truly believe that in most cases, you should learn Spanish since it makes more sense. Here are some of my arguments as to why. 1. The Spanish pronunciation […]
Spanish Words for Bathroom and Bathroom Components: INFOGRAPHIC
One of the first things you learn in a foreign language is how to ask where the bathroom is. I’m sure many people who speak only minimal Spanish can spit out the word baño while they frantically dance about, showing their urgency. While baño will generally get you what you want, it’s certainly not the […]
Is There a Correct Spanish Language?
With so many different Spanish speaking countries, how can one determine what “correct” Spanish is? A while back, I wrote an article called The Dialect Divide: Argentina vs. Puerto Rico, which addresses some of the differences in the Spanish I speak and the Spanish my Puerto Rican boyfriend speaks. This is a deeper look at […]
4 Tips on How to Speak Spanish Fluently
I learned my Spanish in a university in St. Louis, Missouri. My professors were from Mexico, Spain, and Argentina – I had my choice of accents. For whatever reason, before I even had a class with the Argentine professor, I adopted el canto, or the sing-song rhythm that Italians and Argentinians often use while speaking. […]
Did You Know These 7 Spanish Language Words for SUITCASE?
Suitcase is definitely a word you’re going to need when traveling. Whether it be to purchase a new one, ask where to pick up your bags, or answer questions at the airport, you need to know how to say “suitcase.” Of course, there are Spanish differences and more than just one word for it. Here […]
ESPANGLISH: The English and Spanish Dictionary Definition of Spanglish by the RAE
Last week the Royal Academy of Spanish Language (RAE, in Spanish) announced the incorporation of the word espanglish (or Spanglish) in the next edition of their dictionary that will be published in 2014. The definition that will accompany this term reads as follow: “A form of speech used by some Hispanic groups in the United […]
Learn Spanish: 4 Meanings of HOT in Spanish
The word caliente means “hot” while the word calor means “heat.” It seems like saying “estoy caliente” would be the proper way to express that you are hot, as in, the temperature is high. Unfortunately these Spanish differences for non-native speakers are a common and embarrassing mistake. The word hot also have other possible translations. […]
3 Ways Latinos Are Better Than Americans: The Spanish Language Culture
3 Ways Latinos Are Better Than Americans I have interacted with Latinos from a lot of different countries, both in their home countries and outside of them. Working as an interpreter and living in a city with a large Mexican population has allowed me to make some interesting observations about Latinos in America (living in […]
8 Tools Spanish Speakers Can Use to Improve English Pronunciation
This is the last article of the series English Pronunciation Challenges: What a Latina Learned in an Accent Reduction Class where I share some of the resources I used during my class. These “tools” includes books, apps and web pages that will help you during this process. Posts in this series: English Pronunciation Challenges for […]
10 Most Shocking Things I Learned About English Pronunciation
This is the second article of the series English Pronunciation Challenges: What a Latina Learned in an Accent Reduction Class where I share some of the resources I used during my class. These “tools” includes books, apps and web pages that will help you during this process. Posts in this series: English Pronunciation Challenges for […]
How To Say EARRINGS In Spanish
Women simply love jewelry and my mom is one of them. Genuine or costume, the bling-bling always amazes her. If you want to flatter a Spanish-speaking lady with a pair of earrings, you will need to take some notes on how to many words there are in Spanish for this word. The Dictionary of the […]
Spanglish Words: 4 Spanish Words from the English Word LUNCH
The Spanish language has been influenced by Latin and Arabic throughout its development. But today, the language that has been contributing to the Spanish vocabulary is English. Think of words like junior, píxel, jacuzzi, copyright and flirtear. All these words have been accepted by the Royal Spanish Academy. But the following set of Spanish words adopted […]
13 Cool and Interesting Facts About Spanish: Infographic
13 facts about the Spanish language with their sources. Historic and current facts about Spanish language plus a shareable info-graphic. Download and share this infographic with 13 facts about Spanish created by Speaking Latino to celebrate El Día E.
Spanish Language: Learn Spanish Grammar With 4 Ways to Use the Preposition CON in Spanish
This post is part of the series Warming up for El Día E: Posts to Improve Your Spanish. El Día E is a world-wide celebration of the Spanish Language that will take place on June 23th, 2012. Posts in this series to celebrate El Día E: 1. Join the Celebration of El Día E 2. […]
Learn Spanish: Using the Verb HACER to Express Periods of Time
This post is part of the series Warming up for El Día E: Posts to Improve Your Spanish. El Día E is a world-wide celebration of the Spanish Language that will take place on June 23th, 2012. Posts in this series to celebrate El Día E: 1. Join the Celebration of El Día E 2. […]