Lovers of languages and words

“With languages, you are at home anywhere.” ― Edmund De Waal We reblog resources, guides, tips and more for students and lovers of Catalan, Spanish, English and Mandarin Chinese. Sometimes we make our own posts too!

[useless-catalanfacts]

Bueno, pues molt bé, pues adiós

#buenopuesmoltbépuesadiós has become the 2nd worldwide trending topic on Twitter and people are making memes with this sentence. Here’s why.

After the terrorist attack in Barcelona, journalists from outisde Catalonia have come to our country to report about it. The Catalan government and police realease all their statements and posts in social media accounts in Catalan (our local language), Spanish (the language of the state), and English, and sometimes in French as well.

So here comes the meme

Major Trapero (or Traphero, as some people call him now), chief of the Catalan police, was doing a press conference and was answering the journalists’ questions when a Spanish journalist demanded that he answers only in Spanish. Trapero said “When they ask me in Catalan, I answer in Catalan, when they ask me in Spanish, I answer in Spanish”. The Spanish journalist got mad and threatened to leave the room if he didn’t answer it all in Spanish, and Trapero, very calmly, said “bueno, pues molt bé, pues adiós” which is a sentence mixing both languages that means “well then, very well, bye, then”.

We’ve finally found the perfect answer when they tell us we don’t have the right to spek our language in our own country.

[linguaphiles]

La Fundación del Español Urgente (Fundéu) ha lanzado una campaña en Twitter, en la que piden la colaboración de los usuarios de esta red social para documentar diferentes regionalismos.

Palabras como “dinero”, “autobús”, “biberón” o “faltar a clases” se dicen de manera diferente en cada rincón del mundo hispanohablante, por eso han lanzado la etiqueta #yolollamo.

Puedes expandir tu vocabulario haciendo click en los diferentes enlaces:

#yolollamo «colectivo», «autobús», «buseta»...

#yolollamo «dinero», «plata», «guita»... 

#yolollamo «chancla», «sandalia», «chala»...

#yolollamo «mamadera», «mamila», «tetero»... 

#yolollamo hacer pellas, capar clase, hacer la rata... 

#yolollamo pochoclo, cabrita, canquil, palomita... 

[linguaphiles]

“El 012 i els pronoms febles”

En castellano: ¿De qué va esto?

En el canal de televisión autonómico de Cataluña, TV3, si hay un programa de humor que destaca por encima de cualquier otro es “Polònia”. En Cataluña tenemos un número de teléfono  (012) que ofrece atención e información general de los servicios y actuaciones que realiza la Generalitat: campañas de todo tipo, ayuda para realizar trámites... En Polònia parodian los anuncios de dicho teléfono, y en el gag que compartimos nos hacen reír con los pronombres. Os dejamos la transcripción del gag en catalán y, si a alguien despierta la curiosidad... ¡que cuente con nosotras para que lo expliquemos más detalladamente! 

Fer servir els pronoms febles correctament és... responsabilitat de tots!

Els pronoms febles són una espècie en perill d’extinció, com les balenes o els votants d’Unió. Si no en fem un bon ús, haurem de dedicar-los la pròxima Marató de TV3.

Fer servir expressions com “tinc que dir-lis” o “és lo que n’hi ha” pot crear lesions a l’oïda, i quan es combinen amb expressions forçades com “els nadals”, “la nit bona” o “no m’emputxis” es moren 30.000 gatets de cop. Al 012 t’explicaran com detectar quan no fas servir els pronoms febles correctament: 

· Si cada cop que obres la boca, un lingüista es llença per la finestra.

· Si estàs escrivint i explota l’ordinador.

· O si fas servir expressions com aquesta: “Té, porta’ls-ho i els el duus” és que estàs fent servir els pronoms febles per sobre de les teves possibilitats.

Si tens algun dubte, truca al 012; és a dir, truca-nos-los-hi!

012: La Generalitat, al teu costat.

[linguaphiles]

What a bilingual city actually looks like (part 2)

Our previous post on linguistic landscapes was successful so we’re back with more examples of what bilingual cities look like! We live in Barcelona so these examples combine Catalan and Spanish. 

It isn’t a secret that Spain is complicated when it comes to languages and politics, so linguistic policies tend to be extremely delicate issues. It’s hard to make popular decisions and there is never an option that will please everyone, but trying is always nice.

The following pictures were taken at a train station.

Here we read “Only maintenance service employees allowed” in Spanish and Catalan. Spanish comes first, so it is given priority as the leader. Catalan comes second, but the sentence is written in bold, so in that sense it is also prioritized. No one should get angry. 

The same thing happens next, but English joins the game now. What’s curious here is how they spent money on the word “Ascensor” twice because even if the spelling is exactly the same in Spanish and Catalan, they still wanted to respect each language’s space to avoid creating a dispute (which they probably did anyway). 

The signs in English are tiny and might not be very visible, but they’re in caps so there’s also the attempt to make the English speaker feel cared for.

[un-ionizetheradlab]

why does the english speaker have to feel cared for? why can’t they learn the local language - why do they feel entitled to people in other countries catering to their needs?

[linguaphiles]

I don't think this is about entitlement, it's about being practical and helpful from my point of view. Most English speakers passing through Catalan train stations are tourists who won't stay for long.  If they want to learn some Catalan or Spanish that's great, but learning the local language(s) should never be a requirement to travel around the world. And to be fair I'd love to add that most English speakers who do live here actually end up learning Spanish or Catalan.

If I ever visit Japan, I’ll be incredibly grateful to find signs in English that help me move around. If I ever plan to actually move to Japan for a long period of time, then I will learn Japanese. 

(This was Sandra speaking)

[linguaphiles]

What a bilingual city actually looks like (part 2)

Our previous post on linguistic landscapes was successful so we’re back with more examples of what bilingual cities look like! We live in Barcelona so these examples combine Catalan and Spanish. 

It isn’t a secret that Spain is complicated when it comes to languages and politics, so linguistic policies tend to be extremely delicate issues. It’s hard to make popular decisions and there is never an option that will please everyone, but trying is always nice.

The following pictures were taken at a train station.

Here we read “Only maintenance service employees allowed” in Spanish and Catalan. Spanish comes first, so it is given priority as the leader. Catalan comes second, but the sentence is written in bold, so in that sense it is also prioritized. No one should get angry. 

The same thing happens next, but English joins the game now. What’s curious here is how they spent money on the word “Ascensor” twice because even if the spelling is exactly the same in Spanish and Catalan, they still wanted to respect each language’s space to avoid creating a dispute (which they probably did anyway). 

The signs in English are tiny and might not be very visible, but they’re in caps so there’s also the attempt to make the English speaker feel cared for.

[linguaphiles]

What is ‘vesre’?

It’s a form of slang that is used (primarily) in Argentina and Uruguay. It means “(al) revés” and that is how it usually works: you change the order of the syllables in a word. The most common example is “feca”, which is “café”

I’m going to list some of the words I use with my family, or the ones I’m most familiar with:

Keep in mind that some of this words are offensive and this is a list that you shouldn’t add to your vocabulary: you can only use ‘vesre’ in certain contexts (with your family, friends, significant other) and it would be considerated vulgar if you use this slang outside of those contexts.

You can find more information about “vesre” in this Wordreference thread or on Wikipedia.

[nanahuatli]

Let’s see.

Quilombo = mess. It’s a word of African origin. Bombacha = panties. There’s a type of trousers with the same name, but the vesre word refers to underwear. Concha = cunt. As you can see, this is a very academic post. Borracho = drunk. Boludo = dumbass, I guess. Someone stupid, but it gets used in far too many contexts, far too often, even for emphasis, like “dude”, or as an interjection. It’s like, “our” word. The word. Articles have been written about it. Fondo = Uh, that would be the bottom of something like the sea or a bottle, or the end of a hallway, or back of a house. Not sure if there’s a specific nuance associated with the vesre version. Pedo = Fart, or drunkenness. This word has a lot of uses, including idleness or lucky breaks. I remember this one text describing the stages of life with this word. When you’re a child, you live “al pedo”, which is, doing nothing, wasting time. When you’re a young adult, you live “en pedo”, drunk. When you’re an adult, you live “a los pedos”, busy/fast. And when you’re old, you live “de pedo”, that is, by sheer luck. Parado = standing, as opposite to sitting or laying down. Café = yup, café. Also, coffee, which is what “feca” refers to. Cagar = to shit (verb). Not the end product, mind you. That’s “mierda”. Oh, and “to cheat”, like on a lover or a business partner. I think “garcar” is mostly about this instance. Poronga = dick. As in, penis. Like I said, academic. I only know “garompa” from a certain meme, however. Pagar = to pay. Negro = black person/nigger. We don’t have a distinction between the affectionate, neutral, and pejorative ways of describing someone based on the dark color of their skin, sorry. You have to rely on the tone in which it’s conveyed. Well, it’s also the name of the color black. I haven’t heard the word “grone” in my life, though. Mujer = woman, wife. When “vesre” it usually refers to a wife, afaik. Pajero = wanker, someone whose life revolves around masturbation or sexual arousal. It’s the word I use to classify anime like Highschool of the Dead or Ikkitousen, and the people who watch them. Conventillo = That’s a toughie. It the name given to the slummy, overcrowded buildings post-war European immigrants used to live in. As a derivation, it’s also the name given to gossip or drama. I don’t know if the vesre word prioritizes one meaning or the other, given it’s the first time I’ve ever seen it. Pantalón/pantalones = trousers. Calor = heat. Camión = truck. Baño = toilet room, or bath. Corpiño = bra. Japonés = Japanese. Permiso = “excuse me”. Also, permission, but I’ve never seen the vesre word used for this meaning. Hotel = hotel, duh. But the word “telo” usually refers to the kind you go to have sex at. Bulto = bulge, specifically the one at the front of a gentleman’s trousers when used in vesre. Or its contents. Feeling educated now? Uruguayo = Uruguayan. Payaso = clown. Panza = belly, gut. I think if you say “zapán” it implies a fat one. Pizza = make a wild guess. I can’t say I’ve ever heard the word “zapi”. Zarparse/Pasarse = to step over the limits, to go too far. The word “pasar” is one of those basic words with a lot of meanings, like “to pass” and “to exceed”, but this use is more specific. Calzoncillo = a piece of men’s underwear, globally. It’s more general than and includes boxers, long johns and others I don’t know the name for. Pedazo = piece, but like, more informal. It’s worth noting that vesre isn’t used equally throughout Argentina. It’s more common in the Capital and waning as you get further away from it. I can’t speak for Uruguay. See, considering vesre is a part of the ghettoish slang called “lunfardo”, choosing it makes whatever you say more informal and sometimes vulgar, like saying “old man” instead of “dad”. In some cases it’s oddly the other way around, as if it takes off the edge, like saying “bolonqui” or “dope” is cuter and less offensive than the actual word. As a rule of thumb, only use these words in context where you can safely say “ass”. I can think of more examples but I feel like that’s enough about genitals and poop for one post.

[linguaphiles]

Thank you very much! Your definitions are excellent, but I’m really surprised this is the first time you’ve heard some of this words in “vesre”!

[linguaphiles]

What is ‘vesre’?

It’s a form of slang that is used (primarily) in Argentina and Uruguay. It means “(al) revés” and that is how it usually works: you change the order of the syllables in a word. The most common example is “feca”, which is “café”

I’m going to list some of the words I use with my family, or the ones I’m most familiar with:

Keep in mind that some of this words are offensive and this is a list that you shouldn’t add to your vocabulary: you can only use ‘vesre’ in certain contexts (with your family, friends, significant other) and it would be considerated vulgar if you use this slang outside of those contexts.

You can find more information about “vesre” in this Wordreference thread or on Wikipedia.

[spanishlandia]

Language Chat Group!

So I’ve had this idea like for a week now of making a chat group to connect with people with the same studying / language learning interests! And I decided to make a chat group! 😊

Things to gain:

Learning Spanish / other languages

Getting motivation to study more often

Learn about other cultures etc.

The chat group would be via the Line App (it works with ID so it’s safe for everyone and it’s easy to download) 🌸

Only thing you have to do is take 2 minutes to respond -> this form <-

And make sure to reblog this post!

[linguaphiles]

What a bilingual city actually looks like (Catalan/Spanish)

We get used to what we have around, so it never occurred to us that it might be interesting to show you what a bilingual city is like. But we’ve been on the lookout for things to post about, and the combination of Catalan and Spanish in advertisements in Barcelona and throughout Catalunya is, to say the least, curious. 

Bilingual advertising can be chaotic for those who come to Barcelona trying to learn either Catalan or Spanish. You don’t know what language is being used if you’re at a basic level of both, so while you might be trying to decipher something in Spanish and freaking out if you can’t tell what it is, the whole thing can be pointless if the ad was in the two languages. 

These are two ads found this very same month:

The ad on the left is an ad for HBO España, which people can get on Vodafone One TV. It reads “Tot Juego de Tronos a Vodafone One TV” (EN: All Game of Thrones on Vodafone One TV). “Tot” is Catalan for “all” or “everything”, but “Juego de Tronos” is Spanish for Game of Thrones. Then follows: “[...] a Vodafone One TV”, which we know is in Catalan because of the preposition “a” for “on” (we would use “en” if the ad were in Spanish). 

The ad on the right is advertising a phone contract. You get 25GBs and unlimited calling. We read (in Catalan): “Amb 25GB la sinfín brilla més que mai” (EN: At 25GB the “sinfín” shines more than ever). “Sinfín” is a fossilized transparent compound in Spanish, joining sin (without) fin (end) meaning infinite or limitless (RAE: infinidad).  However, the whole sentence is in Catalan. 

So, why do we find both Catalan and Spanish in these ads? Because trademarks (and proper names, as a general norm) are never translated. “Juego de Tronos” and “sinfín” work as trademarks in Spanish, not in Catalan. Game of Thrones has not been dubbed into Catalan, so “Joc de Trons” is not a thing on TV. Similarly, “sinfín” is used nationwide as a proper name for this particular contract, so Catalan does not get a translation. 

Saying Barcelona is a bilingual city is an understatement, but if we stick to the theory that’s what it is. You see ads in English, Chinese, Russian, French, Portuguese... but at the end of the day what you get the most is the Catalan/Spanish dichotomy, our official languages. There’s a concept studied in sociolinguistics called “linguistic landscape”, which Wikipedia defines as “the visibility and salience of languages on public and commercial signs in a given territory or region". If this has been interesting so far and you’d like to see more of the linguistic landscape in Catalonia, please tell us and we’ll make sure to post anything we see!

[langsandculture]

Differences between the three main Catalan dialects

Catalan is spoken in Catalonia, in the region of Valencia, in the Balearic Islands and in a part of Aragó (all of them in Spain). It’s also the official language of Andorra and it’s spoken in the south of France and in an Italian city called L’Alguer. The language can be divided in two blocks: el bloc occidental y el bloc oriental (western and eastern block).

As you can see, part of Catalonia, the south of France, the Balearic Islands and L’Alguer are in the eastern side, while Andorra, part of Aragó and the region of València are in the western side (NOTE: the areas that are not painted in the region of València are the areas where Spanish is the ‘traditional’ language).

The main dialects are: el català oriental, el valencià/nord-occidental i el mallorquí (this is how we call the dialect from the islands. However, the subdialects are eivissenc and menorquí. Some people include l’alguerés here as well, while others don’t). Inside these dialects there are subdialects.

NOTE: To talk about the Balearic Islands and L’Alguer, I’ll use the term “the islands”.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN DIFFERENCES?

ARTICLES

The articles change a bit. 

Everyone uses “el, la, els, les”, except in the islands, where they use l’article salat (the “salty” article). So, a Catalan speaker would say “Les illes” to talk about the Balearic Islands, but someone from these islands or from L’Alguer would say “Ses Illes”.

Examples: 

He comprat sa casa que volia (I’ve bought the house I wanted) (islands)

He comprat la casa que volia (I’ve bought the house I wanted)

Since there’s a context it’s easier to understand, but if someone from Majorca says “sa casa” (the house), people from other places would understand “his/her house”, since “sa” is like “la seua”, a possessive pronoun.

ARTICLE SALAT (the):

                    sg.                               pl.

m.                es                                es

f.                  sa                               ses

es café (the coffee)

sa llengua (the language)

es cafés (the coffees)

ses llengües (the languages)

I’m going to be honest: if you can understand someone from the islands you deserve a C2 certificate.

1 PERSON SINGULAR IN THE PRESENT TENSE

Depending on the dialect, a person will say:

penso       pense       pens (I think)

penso: in Catalonia, in the map, the areas called “Central” and “Septentrional”

pense: in Valencian and the Nord-occidental dialect

pens: in the islands. This is the oldest form, it’s been found in the oldest Catalan texts.

Example:

Penso que tens raó (I think you’re right)

Pense que tens raó (I think you’re right)

Pens que tens raó (I think you’re right)

Obviously this doesn’t happen if the verb ends in a consonant (example, jo crec (i believe/think))

POSSESSIVES 

Possessives change a bit as well, but just one letter!

In the western block people say “la meua casa” “la teua casa” “la seua casa” “les meues cases” “les teues cases” “les seues cases”. However, in the eastern side people will say “la meva casa” “la teva casa” “la seva casa” “les meves cases” “les teves cases” “les seves cases”.

Example:

La meua amiga és molt alta. (My friend is very tall)

La meva amiga és molt alta.

VOCABULARY

Like Spanish or English or any other language, there are some vocabulary differences. There many words, but I’ve just listed some:

(male form. in order: western block, central Catalan and the islands)

xiquet    nen     nin/fiet/boix  (child)

xic        noi         al·lot                  (boy)

eixida         sortida                       (exit)

creïlla           patata                     (potatoe)

tomaca        tomata      tomàtiga (tomatoe)

espill            mirall                      (mirror)

You can use whatever word you want, people will understand you. This is like saying “lift” to an American, they know it means “elevator”.

This video (in Catalan) explains the vocabulary differences, including L’Alguer.

1 PERSON IN THE PRESENT OF SUBJUNCTIVE

The ending of the verbs in the first person of the present tense in subjunctive changes as well.

Western block: -e

Eastern block: -i 

Example: potser compri un llibre (I might buy a book) (eastern)

               potser compre un llibre (I might buy a book) (western)

There are some more differences in the subjunctive. Example:

Que parle qui ho haja fet (Whoever has done it must speak up) (western)

Que parli qui ho hagi fet (Whoever has done it must speak up) (eastern)

PRONUNCIATION

The pronunciation changes a bit as well, but this is easier to see if you listen, rather than reading. Some examples:

el doctor (the doctor)

Some from the eastern side would say “doctah”, like the British, while people from the western side will say each letter.

Also, in the eastern side the “e” sounds like a “a” (more or less) when it is not the stressed letter.

Example: 

els poetes (the poets). 

In an eastern Catalan, you’d hear “poetas”, although the “a” sound will be quite weak. 

Same happens with the “o”, if it isn’t a strong one it sounds like an “u”. Example: portar. Wirtten “portar” but pronounced “purtar” in the eastern side.

The video form the 80s every student has watched in high school: “Compraré peres” (in Catalan)

Of course, there are many more differences, if you want to add any (or correct anything) feel free to do so!

[linguaphiles]

We haven’t made a recommendation in a while, but we think this one is worthy!

If you’re studying Spanish or you’re interested in etymologies, Spanish Etymology is the perfect website for you! Not only they relate Spanish and English words that have the same etymology (like jugar/juego and joke) but they also explain the changes from Latin into Spanish with simple patterns (or “leyes de evolución fonética” as they call it in my Historical Linguistics class).

They also have a Tumblr blog that you can follow (Spanish Etymology) but they don’t upload as often as on their website!

[langsandculture]

Love in Catalan

inspired by langblog’s post

nouns

l’amor (m) - love

el nuvi - boyfriend (many people will say novio)

la núvia - girlfriend (many people will say novia)

la relació - the relationship

l’afecte (m) - affection

la passió - passion

l’admiració – admiration

romàntic/a - romantic

el romanç - romance

el cor - the heart

el bes – the kiss

el petó - the kiss

la bellesa – beauty

la parella - the partner

l’abraçada (f) - the hug

l’atracció (f) - atraction

la cita - the date

el matrimoni - the marriage

el divorci - the divorce

Sant Valentí - Valentine’s Day

Sant Jordi - Sant Jordi is Book’s Day. In Catalonia they have their own tradition: people buy a book and a rose as a present for those they love. This tradition is becoming more and more popular all over Spain.

terms of endearment

reina - queen

rei - king

amor meu - my love

vida meva – my life

estimat/estimada - dear

flor (f) - flower

carinyet - darling (this is really corny)

bombonet - little chocolate (this is really corny)

pesolet - little pea (this is really corny)

solet - little sun (this is really corny)

phrases

et vull - i love you

t’estime/t’estimo/t’estim - i love you (this is quite intense)

m’agrades - i like you

t’agrade? - do you like me?

et trobo a faltar - i miss you

besa’m - kiss me

abraça’m - hug me

eres l’amor de la meva vida - you’re the love of my live

eres l’home de la meva vida - mannen i mitt liv you’re the man of my life

eres la dona de la meva vida - you’re the woman of my life

no ets tu, sóc jo - it’s not you, it’s me

verbs

estimar - to love

enamorar-se – to fall in love

besar-se - to kiss each other

besar - to kiss

adorar - to adore

admirar - to admire

eixir amb algú/estar amb algú - to go out with someone/date someone

trencar (amb algú) - to break up (with someone)

abraçar - to hug

fer l’amor - to make love

discutir - to argue

perdonar - to forgive

casar-se - to get married

divorciar-se - to get divorced

PS: the gif is from a Catalan TV show called “Merlí”

[useless-catalanfacts]

(Note: In Catalonian dialect “et vull” wouldn’t be right to say. It would sound… possessive? And most people would think it’s incorrect, and a literal translation of Spanish “te quiero” (lit. “I want you”). We’d simply say “t’estimo”.

The post is in Valencian so it’s perfectly correct to say that!

And another note, in L’Alguer they say “te vull bé” (lit. I want you well).)

[galacticpanther]

I would like to add my two cents as well. Nuvi - groom Núvia- bride

In my dialect those first words would imply they’re going to marry.

Xicot - boyfriend Xicota- girlfriend

They’re use declining in favour of the Spanish words mentioned by op (but I prefer these ones tbh)

Parella is used for both couple and partner, datemate.

Also we use “sortir amb algú” instead of “eixir” - to go out with somebody

“Eres” is from the verb “ser/ésser” and would be used differently depending on the dialect. (In mine for example would be “ets”)

I think it’s more used in Catalonia “fer un petó ” - to kiss than “besar” here.

Dialects have differences but they enrich the language^^

[langsandculture]

reblogging my own post because people are posting the different variations in their dialects and it’s beautiful. 

[linguaphiles]

Since making love is on the list we thought we could also add the less romantic equivalent to having sex:

follar - to fuck

[nanahuatli]

Isn’t “follar” the word in official, Madrid Spanish too (I don’t know what to call it. It’s Spanish from Spain to me)?

[linguaphiles]

Yes! It is exactly the same word in Spanish and Catalan, both accepted by their own Academies.

[langsandculture]

Love in Catalan

inspired by langblog’s post

nouns

l’amor (m) - love

el nuvi - boyfriend (many people will say novio)

la núvia - girlfriend (many people will say novia)

la relació - the relationship

l’afecte (m) - affection

la passió - passion

l’admiració – admiration

romàntic/a - romantic

el romanç - romance

el cor - the heart

el bes – the kiss

el petó - the kiss

la bellesa – beauty

la parella - the partner

l’abraçada (f) - the hug

l’atracció (f) - atraction

la cita - the date

el matrimoni - the marriage

el divorci - the divorce

Sant Valentí - Valentine’s Day

Sant Jordi - Sant Jordi is Book’s Day. In Catalonia they have their own tradition: people buy a book and a rose as a present for those they love. This tradition is becoming more and more popular all over Spain.

terms of endearment

reina - queen

rei - king

amor meu - my love

vida meva – my life

estimat/estimada - dear

flor (f) - flower

carinyet - darling (this is really corny)

bombonet - little chocolate (this is really corny)

pesolet - little pea (this is really corny)

solet - little sun (this is really corny)

phrases

et vull - i love you

t’estime/t’estimo/t’estim - i love you (this is quite intense)

m’agrades - i like you

t’agrade? - do you like me?

et trobo a faltar - i miss you

besa’m - kiss me

abraça’m - hug me

eres l’amor de la meva vida - you’re the love of my live

eres l’home de la meva vida - mannen i mitt liv you’re the man of my life

eres la dona de la meva vida - you’re the woman of my life

no ets tu, sóc jo - it’s not you, it’s me

verbs

estimar - to love

enamorar-se – to fall in love

besar-se - to kiss each other

besar - to kiss

adorar - to adore

admirar - to admire

eixir amb algú/estar amb algú - to go out with someone/date someone

trencar (amb algú) - to break up (with someone)

abraçar - to hug

fer l’amor - to make love

discutir - to argue

perdonar - to forgive

casar-se - to get married

divorciar-se - to get divorced

PS: the gif is from a Catalan TV show called “Merlí”

[useless-catalanfacts]

(Note: In Catalonian dialect “et vull” wouldn’t be right to say. It would sound… possessive? And most people would think it’s incorrect, and a literal translation of Spanish “te quiero” (lit. “I want you”). We’d simply say “t’estimo”.

The post is in Valencian so it’s perfectly correct to say that!

And another note, in L’Alguer they say “te vull bé” (lit. I want you well).)

[galacticpanther]

I would like to add my two cents as well. Nuvi - groom Núvia- bride

In my dialect those first words would imply they’re going to marry.

Xicot - boyfriend Xicota- girlfriend

They’re use declining in favour of the Spanish words mentioned by op (but I prefer these ones tbh)

Parella is used for both couple and partner, datemate.

Also we use “sortir amb algú” instead of “eixir” - to go out with somebody

“Eres” is from the verb “ser/ésser” and would be used differently depending on the dialect. (In mine for example would be “ets”)

I think it’s more used in Catalonia “fer un petó ” - to kiss than “besar” here.

Dialects have differences but they enrich the language^^

[langsandculture]

reblogging my own post because people are posting the different variations in their dialects and it’s beautiful. 

[linguaphiles]

Since making love is on the list we thought we could also add the less romantic equivalent to having sex:

follar - to fuck

[wonderful-language-sounds]

Here are some podcasts for those of you that learn or speak Spanish.  Many you can find on  iTunes, on Android using Pocket Casts, or on their own websites/RSS feed. Other podcasts: French | German | Russian | Eurasia

Language Learning

Accelerated Spanish

Coffee Break Spanish

Discover Spanish

Language Transfer: Complete Spanish

Learn Spanish Daily Podcast

Learning Spanish for Beginners 

Light Speed Spanish

Medical Spanish Podcast

Notes in Spanish: Beginner

Notes in Spanish: Intermediate

Notes in Spanish: Advanced

One Minute Spanish

One Minute Latin American Spanish

Real Deal Spanish

Spanish A+

Spanish by Choice: Transcripts here.

SpanishPod101

Spanish - SurvivalPhrases

Speak Spanish with Maria Fernandez

Beginner-Advanced Listening

Advanced Spanish with Spanish Obsessed

Español Automático: Includes transcripts.

Españolistos

Hablemos Español (Mexico)

La Casa Rojas: Transcripts can be bought.

Learn Argentinian Spanish

My Spanish Podcasts

News in Slow Spanish (Spain):  Includes transcripts.

News in Slow Spanish (Latin America): Includes transcripts.

Notes in Spanish: Gold: Transcripts can be bought.

Podcast en Spanish

Spanishpodcast: Includes transcripts.

SpanishPodcast.net: Includes transcripts.

Show Time Spanish

Unlimited Spanish: Includes transcripts.

Spanish Only

00 Podcast: Movies

Al Filo de la Realidad: Occult, UFO’s, pseudoscience.

Campamento Krypton: Pop culture.

CienciaEs: Science podcasts

Cultura, contracultura, y recontracultura: Culture.

Economía para la Ciudadanía: Economics.

El Amor Después : Relationships and love.

Engadget: Technology.

Es Salud: Health.

Es una Trampa: Star Wars

Fallo de sistema: Sci-fi, comics, movies.

Gameover: Video games.

Histocast: History

Juego de Tronos : Game of Thrones.

La Papa: Answers to unique questions.

La  Parroquia: Humor.

La Rosa de los Vientos: Mystery

Lo-Fi: Relationships.

Melomania: Classical music.

Memorias de un Tambor: Spanish history.

Nadie sabe nada: Humor.

Negá Todo : X-files

Nunca Ayudes a Nadie: Productivity

Oh My LOL: Humor

Radio Ambulante: Like This American Life

Radioshock: Random interesting topics.

SBS Radio: News

Señaladores: Literature.

Sexopolis: Sex & sexuality.

Siglo 21: Music.

Son y sabor: Music

Terror Y Nada Más: Horror.

Verne y Wells Ciencia Ficción: Sci-fi and stories.

Argentina Podcastera: Several interesting podcasts from Argentina.

iVoox: Several podcasts can be found here.

Radio Nacional: Several podcasts from Colombia.

RTVE: Several podcasts from Spain that you narrow by category.

You can find waaay more podcasts in Spanish simply by going through Spanish radio stations. I’ve seen podcasts for Pokemon, poetry, geology, and beer. You’re bound to find something you like :D

[linguaphiles]

This is a tiny post to wish everyone a happy new year! 

We start off with the intention of posting at least once every two weeks and reblogging frequently. 

So get ready because you’re going to see us more on your dashboard! 

[spanish-studyblrs]

¡Desde spanish-studyblrs les deseamos unas felices fiestas! 🎄🎁

[ourspanishblog]

Words in Spanish that look very similar to English words but have different meanings! (:

colegio ≠ college → colegio = school - Voy al colegio todos los días. = I go to school every day. - ¿Cómo te fue hoy en el colegio? = How was school today? college = universidad; facultad - Estudié derecho en la universidad. = I studied law at college. - Estudio en la facultad de arte. = I study at Art College.

embarazada ≠ embarrassed → embarazada = pregnant - Mi hermana está embarazada. = My sister is pregnant.  embarrassed = avergonzado/a(s) - No tienes que sentirte avergonzado. = You don’t have to feel embarrassed. - Lo siento, estoy muy avergonzada. = I’m sorry, I’m so embarrassed.

éxito ≠ exit → éxito = success - El proyecto fue todo un éxito. = The project was such a success.  - The deseo mucho éxito. = I wish you a lot of success. exit = salida - La salida es por allá. = The exit is over there. - Disculpe, ¿dónde está la salida? = Excuse me, where is the exit?

fábrica ≠ fabric → fábrica = factory - Charlie y la fábrica de chocolate. = Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. - Mi padre trabaja en una fábrica. = My father works in a factory.  fabric = tela - Es sólo un pedazo de tela. = It’s just a piece of fabric.  - No me gusta la tela de este vestido. = I don’t like this dress fabric.

grabar ≠ to grab → grabar = to record - Esta llamada será grabada. = This call will be recorded. - Voy a grabar un video con mis amigos. = I’ll record a video with my friends. to grab = agarrar, coger (España) - Agarra todas las frutas que quieras. = Grab all the fruits you want. - Me agarró de la mano. = She/He grabbed my hand.

grosería ≠ grocery → grosería = rudeness, swear word - No voy a tolerar tus groserías. = I won’t tolerate your rudeness(coarseness) - No digas groserías. = Don’t swear (Don’t say bad words) grocery = abarrotes, despensa - Voy a la tienda de abarrotes / la tiendita. = I’m going to the grocery store. - Tengo que comprar la despensa. = I’ve to buy groceries. 

introducir ≠ introduce → introducir = to insert, to put into, to introduce (sth) - Introduce la llave en la cerradura. = Insert the key into the lock. - La empresa introdujo dos nuevos productos. = The company introduced two new products.  introduce (someone) = presentar(se) - Madre, te presento a mi novia Laura. = Mother, here’s my girlfriend Laura (I introduce you to my girlfriend Laura.) -¿Puedes presentarte a la clase? = Can you introduce yourself to the class?

letra ≠ letter (send a letter) → letra = letter (writing, alphabet) - ¿Cuántas letras tiene la palabra “casa”? = How many letters does the word “casa” have? - ¿Qué letra es ésta? = What’s this letter? letter (send) = carta - Te escribí una carta con mucho cariño. = I wrote you a letter with a lot of love(affection). - Quiero enviar una carta a mi padre. = I want to send a letter to my father.

librería ≠ library → librería = book store - Voy a comprar libros a la librería. = I’m going to buy books at the book store. - ¿Dónde hay una librería por aquí? = Where’s a book store around here? library = biblioteca - Renté este libro de la biblioteca. = I rented this book from the library. - Ella pasa horas leyendo en la biblioteca. = She spends hours reading at the library.

molestar ≠ to molest → molestar = to bother, disturb, annoy - Deja de molestarme. = Stop bothering me.  - Cuando estoy estudiando cualquier ruido me molesta. = When I’m studying every noise annoys me. to molest = abusar/acosar sexualmente - Ese hombre trató de abusar sexualmente de esa chica. = That man tried to molest that girl.

realizar ≠ to  realize → realizar = to perform, to achieve - El científico realizó un experimento en su laboratorio. = The scientist performed an experiment in his laboratory. - Él realizó su sueño de ser actor. = He achieved his dream of becoming an actor. to realize = darse cuenta - Por fin te diste cuenta. = You finally realized (found out). - Me di cuenta de que me estaba mintiendo. = I found out he was lying to me.

soportar ≠ to support → soportar = to bear, to tolerate, to put up with - Ya no lo soporto. = I can’t stand it (bear it) any more. - Esta silla puede soportar mucho peso. = This chair can bear a lot of weight. to support = apoyar - Las empresas debería apoyar este proyecto. = Companies should support this project. - Yo apoyo económicamente a mi familia. = I economically support my family.