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Streetwise Spanish A-Z To Help You Speak Spanish
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The Admiration And Respect Of Native Speakers
Throughout The Hispanic World

Streetwise Spanish A-Z (A-M)

A. Albahaca - Basil. Apart from learning how to meet and greet people in Spanish, albahaca was the first Spanish word I learned here in Barcelona. It was taught to me by my local grocer on the third day I was here and I've learned a lot more Spanish words and Spanish phrases from him since then! The basil here is just wonderful, kissed by the Spanish sunshine it is so fragrant and the leaves are big and bursting with flavor they really make fresh tomato sauce sing!
 

B. Bolsa is the Spanish word for bag. It can get a little bit confusing in Spanish because there are Las bolsas de plástico - plastic bags, las bolsas de té - tea bags, y las bolsas de basura - garbage bags. But if you're talking about a handbag, beach bags or grips then they are Los bolsos. See what I mean about how the Spanish gets confusing? Why it changes gender only the Spanish know!

It's strange but almost every time I go to the supermarket I have to ask for plastic bags:

- ¿Tiene usted bolsas por favor?

But I realised that most of the locals will use this more "Streetwise" Spanish phrase:

- ¿Hay bolsitas?

Which means "Can I have some little bags?", literally "Are there little bags?"
 

I also use estas bolsitas for the garbage too.
 

C. Carteristas - pickpockets - are a problem in most major Spanish cities but here in Barcelona, pick-pocketing is rife. Their favorite hunting grounds are railway stations - estaciones de ferrocarril - , subway stations - el metro - and the myriad of street shows, especially on La Rambla. They are looking for easy targets and they operate very, very quickly.

In Streetwise Spanish, there is an entire chapter devoted to travelling safely along with details of several scams deployed by carteristas and lots of practical Streetwise Spanish phrases to help keep you safe and sound.

One thing I never do is to carry a lot of money along with my credit cards and I don't ever flash a bundle of cash anywhere. I only take what I need and I make it very difficult for carteristas to mark me out as an easy target. That for me is the key and if you're visiting Barcelona or other Spanish cities - in fact any major city - then keeping a low profile will help you avoid becoming another victim of petty crime.
 

D. Depresión & De presión. Two Spanish words that sound exactly the same but have different meanings. Depresión is depression and if used to describe someone's state of mental health, the Spanish often abbreviate it to "La depré". De presión means "of pressure" but it can also be used to refer to a draught beer and there is a good little Spanish joke that plays on this:

Un hombre va al bar y dice - Una cerveza porfa.

El camarero le pide - ¿De presión?

- No, alcoholismo.

Baddum tish!

But don't get confused. If you ask in a gas station for a bomba de presión, you're asking for a pressure pump, not for a pump of draught beer...
 

E. Educado. This is a very important quality for anybody to have in Hispanic countries, it is valued very highly indeed. Educado doesn't mean "educated" but rather, that you are polite, well-mannered and respectful. An example of educado is to greet everyone present when you walk into a shop. This is one aspect of the life here that I love and without doubt, is one of the main reasons why I have felt so welcome here right from day one. The opposite of educado is mal educado, and is the shame of being a rude or an ignorant person. Una persona sin modales - a person without manners - and such people will receive little - if any - respect - throughout the Spanish speaking world.

It's the little things that make such a big difference and speaking Spanish using the Streetwise Spanish phrases you're discovering right now will mark you out as educado and will earn you a lot of respect and the admiration of native Spanish speakers. ¡Estupendo!
 

F. Fiesta y Fuegos Artificiales. A fiesta can be a party, a celebration and a public holiday. The Spanish have dozens of fiestas, hardly a month goes by without one but my favorite by a long way is "La Fiesta de San Juan" which takes place on June 23rd every year. Spanish children signal the coming of this fiesta by setting off fireworks - fuegos artificiales - throughout the 3 weeks leading up to it and they delight in throwing firecrackers at the feet of startled adults! On the day itself here in Barcelona, Spanish families will hold parties and the smoke from barbecues fills the air and scents it with char-grilled aromas. Thousands of young Spanish people mix with thousands of tourists from all around the world and flock to the beach to hold all night parties and the atmosphere is electric! If you're in Spain at this time do not miss this fabulous Spanish fiesta, you will have a ball just watch out for the firecrackers!
 

G. Grúa. Grúa is the Spanish word for "crane" but it also refers to a "tow truck". Parking in the cities can be a nightmare, especially in "zonas de residencia". You need a permit to park in these areas and cars parked illegally will be towed away by the tow-truck - la grúa. In Spain you will have to pay 100 euros to retrieve your car. Better is to use a car park - un aparcamiento - and the following Spanish phrase is sure to come in very handy:

- ¿Dónde está el aparcamiento más cercano? - Where is the nearest car park?

But if you've taken a chance and parked illegally and you hear - ¡viene la grúa! - it means the tow-truck is coming so you better move your car - pronto!

H. I must confess, I'm a bit of a foodie! I really enjoy cooking and in summer, I just love throwing a barbecue and inviting friends to share good food, good wine and good company. That's where I'm in my element and one of my favorite Spanish phrases relates to food and it is so typically Spanish: If something smells good and appetizing, the Spanish say - ¡Huele de muerte! - It smells of death! Why the Spanish say that what's cooking smells delicious "smells of death" I have yet to discover! It's a great Spanish phrase to have in your toolkit and will win you lots of admiration from the locals!

I. Invitar - To Invite. Inviting people to join you for coffee, lunch, dinner or a drink is as popular in the Spanish speaking world as anywhere. The custom is when you offer an invite to someone - te invito - you pick up the tab. So te invito means "it's on me" and generosity is an important quality for Hispanic people. You're sure to be offered an invite so politely accept and ensure you return the honor.

Another way te invito is used is by staff or the proprietors in bars and restaurants. At the end of your meal you my be offered a complimentary liquor and you'll be told - te invito. I am fortunate to hear this in my local bars every week, I'll order a beer and as I'm served I'll be told - te invito - "this one's on the house". I know, I really am spoiled here and I love it!
 

J. Jamón - Ham. If you're a chica, imagine you're in a bar enjoying a nice cool drink, just kicking back and watching life go by. You realise that the chico sat on the table next to you is making eyes at you - hacerle ojitos in Spanish - and they come over to you and say:

"You look like a pig's leg."

I think you'd be less than flattered, agreed?

Well in Spanish, letting una chica know that she's una jamona means that you find her very attractive! So:

- Eres una jamona - You're gorgeous!

I'm sure you know about the delicious cured Spanish ham - jamón serrano, sweet fat and slightly salty meat yes? The Spanish are very serious and very proud when it comes to their jamón serrano and in the run up to Christmas, the shops and supermarkets display legs of jamón replete with polished trotters on special stands and I have to say I just don't get how calling someone "una jamona" is a compliment but that's the Spanish for you! What a great Spanish phrase for a chico to have in his Spanish vocabulary.
 

K. Kilómetro. There aren't many Spanish words that begin with K and kilómetro is probably the most commonly used one. Without doubt, the biggest problem I had with learning Spanish was listening to native speakers. I picked up reading pretty quickly and I did fine with conjugating Spanish verbs and I was doing well with my spoken Spanish but I found it really difficult to listen and understand native Spanish speakers. Hispanic people do speak Spanish quickly and it is so important to listen attentively. A very good friend of mine, Laura, comes from Italy and she speaks Spanish so fast sometimes I just cannot understand a word she is saying so I'll say:

- ¡Tranquila Laura! Hablas a mil kilometros por hora y no puedo entenderte. ¡Porfa, habla más despacio guapa! - Calm down Lara! You're talking at a thousand kilometers an hour and I can't understand you. Please, talk more slowly love!
 

L. Loco/a - Crazy. Some of my favorite Spanish Phrases involve the word "Loc@" and here's just a few of them:

Ser Loc@ De Remate - To Be Crazy To The End. This applies to people who are terminally crazy, who can't be cured!

Estar Más Loc@ Que Una Cabra - To Be More Crazy Than A Goat. Why a goat I don't know! Are goats that crazy? Maybe to Hispanic people!

Hablar Como Loc@ - To Talk Like Crazy. This Spanish phrase doesn't mean someone is spouting nonsense rather someone who prattles on and on and on and on and on...

And if you've got the hots for someone, you can say to them:

Estoy Loc@ Para Ti - I'm Crazy About You!

Hopefully they won't look at you and dismiss you with:

¡Ni Loc@! - Not Even If I Were Crazy!

Ouch!
 

M. Manzanas. Manzanas is the Spanish word for "apples" but is has another meaning that catches out guiris time after time. Because manzanas is also used to mean "blocks" - bloques. So, if you need to ask someone for directions say, to your hotel, they may reply:

- Vale, camine dos bloques y el hotel "Bella Vista" está en la esquina de la calle de San Pedro y la calle del Rey. - OK, walk two blocks and the hotel Bella Vista is on the corner of St Peter's Street and King Street.

Or:

Vale, camine dos manzanas y el hotel "Bella Vista" está en la esquina de la calle de San Pedro y la calle del Rey.

Es igual.

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STREETWISE SPANISH A-Z (N-Z)