Everyone here wants to speak English with me! Or, they want me to teach them English. Which is fantastic. Except, when am I going to improve my Spanish?
Actually, it has been going really well, considering. Considering what?
Considering the fact that costeños, or people from the coast, and even more specifically, people from Cartagena, are the most difficult people to understand in Spanish in the world. (I am pretty sure that is a true statement that can be scientifically proven.) They swallow letters, they cut off words, they combine words, they create words, and man do they speak fast! It is beautiful and I love it, and once I learn to understand it, I will be able to understand any Spanish speaker in the world!
Here are a couple important words to know:
¿Qué más? - A greeting which literally means "what more?," but the answer is "bien," which means "fine." So... I am still trying to make sense of this one.
Esa es la que te cae. - "Whatever you say!" Pretty sarcastic, I think.
Bailate ese trompo en la uña. - "Spin that top (like the toy) on your fingernail." It's like, "yeah right, I don't believe that."
Por si las moscas. - "For if the flies." Like, "just in case."
*LUIS- Help me out here! Let me know if I need to make corrections and give me some more ideas! You know best!*
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
For if the flies....FOR IF THE FLIES? EN SERIO?????
ReplyDeleteYou should make them trade off with you. One day English to one day Spanish. That's what I'm doing with my friend and it's working pretty well.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm totally gonna throw those expressions in next time it's a Spanish day. So, thanks in advance for making me look good :)
Be careful when using these phrases; if the people you are talking to are not from Cartagena, they might not make any sense!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you're dealing with city dialect, as well as regionalisms. City dialect tends to be more ironic/sarcastic/quick, while country people speak more slowly--they've got more time on their hands! (Time on their hands?--Do they wash it off before dinner?)
ReplyDelete