Obviously, we don’t need a word for this in English since we don’t have an informal “you,” but I just thought it was so convenient to have this succinct way of saying that someone is addressing a person with the tú form.Īs a bonus, I’ll throw in vosear here for countries that use the familiar form vos. The first time I heard this, I was watching a cheesy Colombian soap opera, and it was one of those words that I immediately understood from context and knowing how words are structured in Spanish. ![]() To address someone with the informal tú form I think we could all use a slow-paced meal and time spent with family and friends more often in our time-oriented US culture. I’ve had countless chats with my Puerto Rican mother-in-law after breakfast and cafecito while everyone else scatters from the table. This one isn’t used everywhere across Latin America, but from my anecdotal observations, I’m pretty sure the act of enjoying a sobremesa is common–even if the word itself isn’t used in a particular place. Spanish has a word for that!Īfter-dinner conversation, time spent leisurely chatting around the table after a meal Speaking of food…you know that feeling you get in your mouth when you scrape up all the brownie batter while waiting for the brownies to cook and then proceed to make a hot fudge sundae once they’re done? (No? Just me?) We’ve all had moments where we’ve eaten something so sweet that our mouths feel weird and we can’t possibly take another bite. To be overly sweet, in reference to food or a person At least in Ecuador, merendar means to have dinner. Having distinct words in Spanish meaning “to eat + specific meal” is pretty great ( desayunar, almorzar, and cenar), and now you can add afternoon snacking to the mix! However, it wouldn’t be Latin American Spanish without the word meaning something else entirely in some countries. To have an afternoon snack, coffee, or tea I love the idea of having a term specifically for those Michael Scott moments we’ve all felt. The best we can do in English is say something is “awkward,” but I don’t think that quite captures the depth of the awkwardness we sometimes feel at someone else’s embarrassing moment. You put your hand to your head to hide your face, squeeze your fists, and make a crazy cringing face. If you’ve ever watched a stand-up comedian bombing, you know the feeling this is describing. These terms vary regionally but seem to carry the same connotation. To feel embarrassed for someone even if they don’t feel embarrassed themselves ![]() Sometimes it takes a whole phrase to attempt to translate the meaning of these words, and other times, there are subtle nuances that are lost in translation. From the funny to the perfectly succinct, here are 25 Spanish words or phrases with no exact English equivalent! (Lucky for me, I can break out into it with my husband or in-laws anytime and they don’t think I’m crazy!) While I’m not fluent in Spanish, I’ve often said that Spanglish is my favorite language because there are just some Spanish words that capture what I want to say so much better. It gives us a better understanding of the world, enriches our travel experiences, and brings greater depth to our ability to process and communicate ideas. Learning another language unlocks new ways to express ourselves in these words-that-don’t-quite-translate. ![]() There are even emotions we haven’t experienced because we don’t have language for them. There probably is one–it just doesn’t exist in English. Have you ever wished there were a word to more accurately describe something you’re feeling or doing?
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