Monday, March 30th, 2009 | Permalink
Spanish Word: Gringo
English Meaning: a man from the United Sates
(The feminine term is gringa.)
Pronunciation: \’gri?-(,)g?\
Function: noun
In a broader sense, the term gringo or gringa refers to a foreigner in Spain or in Latin America, who are usually from the United States or the United Kingdom. This reference to a non-Hispanic person is often disparaging.
Example: Que es que la gringa?
Translation: Who is that gringa?
Thursday, March 26th, 2009 | Permalink
Spanish Phrase: ¿Se puede pagar…?
Pronunciation: se pwe-de pagar…?
Translation: Can I pay…?
Whether you’re on business or on vacation, settling payments is the one transaction that you would always have to do. As such, it would help if you know the Spanish equivalent of whether you can pay using your credit card or a check.
For example, if you want to ask if you can pay via credit card, the correct sentence is”¿Se puede pagar con tajeta de crédito?” If you want to ask if you can pay using your check, the correct sentence is “”¿Se puede pagar con talon?”
Monday, March 23rd, 2009 | Permalink
Spanish Phrase: De done eres?
Pronunciation: De doen day air es?
Translation: Where are you from?
You might often hear this question addressed to you. You don’t need to be all panicky and flip through your Spanish phrase book when someone asks you this: what it simply means is where you are from. A simple answer of the city or country that you are from should suffice.
Thursday, March 19th, 2009 | Permalink
Spanish Phrase: El bano.
Pronunciation: ell bon yo
Translation: The bathroom
Drinking all that good yet cheap beer along with the tapas will make you answer the call of nature more often than you would like. As such, it would definitely help if you know how to ask directions and know where the bathroom is.
Monday, March 16th, 2009 | Permalink
Spanish Phrase: Me lla ma es ____.
Pronunciation: may yama s ____.
Translation: My name is _____.
To fully immerse yourself in the Spanish culture, you need to exert the effort in speaking the language – the locals will surely appreciate it. Let’s say that you are sampling some tapas at a local bar and you would like to introduce yourself to someone. The phrase “Me lla ma es”, followed by your name, is exactly how you should do it.
Friday, March 13th, 2009 | Permalink
Spanish Phrase: ¿Cuanto cuesto?
Pronunciation: quan-toe ques-toe
Translation: How much does it cost?
No visit to any country will ever be complete without shopping for souvenirs. And the experience is even more worth it when you are in a Spanish-speaking country, because you are in for some serious bargaining. So before browsing through goods at a souvenir shop, arm yourself with this phrase as well as the Spanish equivalent of numbers – the effort in learning the words will all be worth it.