¿Tu hablas español? – Do You Speak Spanish?

9 May 2011

Almost 500 million people world-wide speak Spanish! It is the second most spoken native language after Mandarin Chinese, and the second most studied language in the world, after English.

A romance language, Spanish evolved from several dialects in the central north of Iberia during the 9th century, and was later taken abroad to the Americas, Africa and the Asia Pacific, with the uber-conquering Spanish Empire, where it became the numero uno language used for government and trade.

Today, Spanish words are spoken far and wide; it is the official language of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. In addition, it is widely spoken in several other nations, including Canada, Morocco, the Philippines, and the United States. Phew!

So it seems any wily traveller should at least have a bit of Spanish up their sleeves. We thought we’d share a few tricks and quips to help you navigate and calibrate:

  • If you know any Italian, then you’re in luck – Spanish is the closest in sound and form to their Italian neighbours – both are Latin based, and spoken with passion, melody and mandatory hand movements.

  • They have an extra letter in their alphabet – ñ which is pronounced ‘enye’. V is pronounced B, Z is pronounced Th, J is pronounced H, H is pronounced right back in your throat, and G is pretty much unpronouncable!
  • Like any language that has spread across continents, there have emerged many dialects, so beware, what may have one meaning in Spain, may have another in Latin America.
    - Spain: coger ('to take'), pisar ('to step on')
    - Latin America: coger and pisar = "to have sex" Whoops!

Important phrases to know:

  • "Please" – "Por favor"
  • "Thank you" – "Gracias"
  • "Can you help me?" – "Puede ayudarme?"
  • "I don't understand" – "No comprende"
  • "Where is...?" – "Donde esta...?"
  • "How far?" – "A que distancia?"
  • "How much is it?" – "Cuanto cuesta?"
  • "I don't like it" – "No me gusta"
  • "Can I have the bill please" – "La cuente, por favor"
  • "May I have a hot chocolate please?" – "¿Me puede dar un chocolate caliente por favor?"
  • "Please help me, I'm having a chocolate craving, where’s the nearest chocolateria?" – "Por favor, ayúdame, estoy teniendo un antojo de chocolate, ¿donde la chocolatería más cercana?"
  • "That last churros is mine!" – "Voy a tener la última churros!"