Top Ten Questions or Phrases every Pilgrim should know in Spanish?

[Anemone del Camino]

I've gotten from Spanish classes that V sounds almost like B. C and Z are usually closer to 'theta' as in thentro and thervetha. Though you will get strange looks if you try using 'theta' in words such as 'grathious' in places like Mexico where its pronounced gracious.

Yeah, no need to replicate the once upon a time king's lisp. There is no "th" sound in Castellano unless you are trying to befriend a king with a lisp from hundreds of years ago .

 

[Anemone del Camino]

The first word on my list is 'Ayuda!. Is this correct november-moon?

For try "Socorro" or Auxilio, what sounds like "Aucilio" - it's not spelled that way, it's how ylu would pronounce it in English. As i ah-oo-see-lee-o. Related to auxiliary, helpers! Socorromis like secours in French. Socorro is also a na,e used for girls/women.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I'm told I speak "Porteño". A variant of Rioplatense. In other words, gutter Spanish!

Not gutter Spanish but rather wannabe Italian Catellano. Their accents are all Italian, not Castellano. Nevermind the pomelo and other Italian words they use instead.

 

[TerryB]

"Vale"the equivalent of OK. Ca va is not that frquently used, or ever, to mean ok. It's mostly used when asking the question how are you? Comment ca va? and answering it. And "vale" is one of those words people from abroad wantomg to sound cool or in will learn and use to show off a bit. It litterally means "it's worth", so when some says vale asking if what ever they are offering /suggesting amd you say yes you are saying their,offer is "worth it" or "yes". Send your South American teen to Spain for the summer and that is the first thing it'll learn, cause lispimg takes a bit lomger

You would not hear much "lisping" from someone like Sra. Herminia in Campiello! She uses "Vale" every other sentence.

Keep smiling!
Tio Tel

 

[MTtoCamino]

Una caña is the common phrase in Spain to ask for the smaller size of draft beer.

I always used grande cervesa por favor. I didn't always get it but it saved ordering again.

Being half deaf my pronunciation was not the best but I am always grateful for the kindness of the Spanish. Softens my heart & I pray I can return again..

 

[Castilian]

If you ask for "un menu" you are asking for the list of whatever it is they are sellomg on a regular basis.

The list of all what's in offer would be the carta. On a carta, each dish (and each beverage) must have listed its price. OTOH, a menú (either del día or any other menú) includes several dishes and has a fixed price for all the menú (i.e.: you don't know the price of each dish and beverage but just the total cost of all your meal -unless you request something out of the menú too, i.e.-).

 

[Castilian]

There is no "th" sound in Castellano

In Castile (as well as in most of the rest of Spain), we do have the "th" sound. I'm told they have it in Equatorial Guinea too but I can't tell you for sure.

For try "Socorro" or Auxilio, what sounds like "Aucilio" - it's not spelled that way, it's how ylu would pronounce it in English. As i ah-oo-see-lee-o.

Just out of curiosity, Is the /ks/ sound for /x/ still used by some people/on some contexts on the variant of Spanish that you speak?

 

[Anemone del Camino]

In Castile (as well as in most of the rest of Spain), we do have the "th" sound. I'm told they have it in Equatorial Guinea too but I can't tell you for sure.

Just out of curiosity, Is the /ks/ sound for /x/ still used by some people/on some contexts on the variant of Spanish that you speak?

As I said, there is only a "th" sound if you are trying to imitate king Ferdinand's lisp, or so goes the urban legend. And why you will hear it troughout Spain and not outside of it, or perhaps only in Equatorial Guinea since only if in Spain would one be interested in this imitation. But it's apparently an urban legend.

The letter Z is called the Zeta, seta, ceta. There is a type of mushroom also called the seta. You may have seen it in pilgrim menus in the revuelto de setas, scrambled eggs and mushrooms. There is a tongue in cheek of refering to Spaniards as "escupa setas", or those who spit out setas, a play on the the "z" and the mushroom, those who spit out the lettre z, or mushrooms.

As for the Ks used for the x, it's my understanding and experience that it is used in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. For example, Mexico is typically pronounced as if the x was a j, "Mejico", but in Yucatan many places that have the X in their name are pronounced with the ks or tch sound, like the resorty area of excaret, sounding something like etchkaret or ekskaret.

Ah, and then there is the accent used in Paraguay. Took a a solid 4 days before starting to undersand it. Very embarassing whe you are attending a number of presentations being made to you for days on end. It's not so much the accent but the way the R tends to disappear, replaced by an L or somesort. Not unlike in Japanese. Same with the "i" which is a bit muddled, more like a ui. I have been told this is because of the Guarani language, even if for many years it was forbiden until being reinstated as one of the official languages and being taught in school again.

If you want to have some fun with Spanish accents, vocab and expressions, nothing beats signing up for "latino" cable service. For example, in Colombia, instead of "como le va" they will,add a "me" in there to "como me le va", as if there was some sort of reprocicity in the question.

 

[Castilian]

As I said, there is only a "th" sound if you are trying to imitate king Ferdinand's lisp, or so goes the urban legend.

Let's put urban legends aside and look for more plausible explanations:

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reajuste_de_las_sibilantes_del_idioma_español
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seseo#Origen_del_seseo

For those of you who don't know (enough) Spanish, take a look at this link in English:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonological_history_of_Spanish_coronal_fricatives#Origins

As for the Ks used for the x, it's my understanding and experience that it is used in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. For example, Mexico is typically pronounced as if the x was a j, "Mejico", but in Yucatan many places that have the X in their name are pronounced with the ks or tch sound, like the resorty area of excaret, sounding something like etchkaret or ekskaret.

Thanks for the info. Do you know if the Ks pronounciation (for the x) is kept too on (common) nouns like taxi, auxilio...? Or is /s/ (commonly) used in those cases?

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Let's put urban legends aside and look for more plausible explanations:

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reajuste_de_las_sibilantes_del_idioma_español
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seseo#Origen_del_seseo

For those of you who don't know (enough) Spanish, take a look at this link in English:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonological_history_of_Spanish_coronal_fricatives#Origins



Thanks for the info. Do you know if the Ks pronounciation (for the x) is kept too on (common) nouns like taxi, auxilio...? Or is /s/ (commonly) used in those cases?

I couldn't tell you. Have not been there in a good 10 years. I think it may vary if you are in tourist areas where the locals have adapted to the prononciation of the capital or in more remote areas. Does it come from ancient Mayan, I don't know, but would be interested in finding out.