Synergy Spanish Systems Blog

Well I have my own version of the Mamas and the Papas. I call it Spanish Dreaming with MA and DAD.

My Ma and Dad are part of the best jump-start to Spanish I know.

Here’s what I mean.

Take a look at these words;

El problema, el sistema, el drama, el programa

All the words are very recognizable, aren’t they?

You see most English words that end in a vowel and the letter M, end in MA in Spanish.

The Dads are even better than the Mas.

la universidad, la oportunidad, la propiedad, la actividad, la mentalidad,

There are 231 words in the dad category. That’s why they are better than the Ma words because there are so many of them.

You can make Spanish words from most English words that end in ITY by change ITY to IDAD. For example

Notice I used el with MA words and la with the DAD words.

Yep MA is masculine and DAD is feminine.

Go figure?

So, now that you know the formula, let’s see if you can figure out these phrases.

1) Hay mucha probabilidad de huracanes.

2) Mis hijos tiene la oportunidad de estudiar en la universidad.

3) Puede causar problemas de seguridad.

4) No tengo propiedad en España.

5) Me gusta la simplicidad del sistema.

6) Qué gran variedad de comida hay aquí?

Here are the English translations if you need them.

1) There is a lot of probability of Hurricanes.

2) My children have the chance to study in the university.

3) It can cause security problems.

4) I don’t have property in Spain.

5) I like the simplicity of the system.

6) What (a) great variety of food there is here?

Doesn’t Spanish seem so much less intimidating when you recognize familiar words?

All you have to do is learn the simple changes to English words and you’ll know how to make 3,145 of these Instant Spanish words.

An important point: Words alone don’t cut it.

If you only learn words then you’ll still have a hard time saying anything. You need to know how to glue the words together to express yourself.

No hay problema.

It just takes a handful of Power Verbs to start sticking your Spanish words together in flowing phrases.

Go here and combine Instant Words and Power Verbs to start speaking Spanish today.

I said, “Check out this old geezer.”

I wasn’t intending to offend. In fact, I was being ironic because that guy was no geezer. He’s in better shape than me!

Here’s the video if you missed it.

http://www.synergyspanishsystems.com/blog/fiesta/

It reminds me of a time in Mexico when I got called a goat.

After a fun night shooting billiards and drinking Tecates my buddies brother-in-law Manolo said to me, “eres bien cabrón.”

I didn’t like it.

Not one bit.

In fact, I took offence. I said, por que me hables así. (Why are you talking to me like that?)

Then he slapped me on the back and said, “eres bien cabron”.

“What is wrong with this guy.” I thought.

You see cabron is a potent word.

Literally, it’s a male goat, but it’s meaning goes way beyond that. It has a bunch of offensive connotations. They vary from region to region but they are always derogatory.

It could be translated as bastard or A-hole. Even worse, it can mean a guy whose wife cheats on him.

So, why the heck would he speak to me like that when we are friends?

In Mexican street language, “eres bien cabrón” is something like saying you’re my man, you’re a dude, or you’re cool.

Teenagers will say things like

Esta canción es muy cabrona. (This song is very cool.)

It makes no sense but the same thing happens in English. A teenager might say, “this song is the shit”, meaning the song is good but if they say, “this song is shit”, it’s bad.

Same deal with cabrón.

It’s mostly bad, but occasionally good.

A word to the wise;

For us non-native speakers my advice is, don’t touch slang words like cabrón with a ten-foot pole.

If you use a word like cabrón, you just might convey something you don’t want to convey. The wrong guy in the wrong place might misunderstand what you’re saying about his wife. And that can’t end well.

It’s just so easy to get slang wrong. Plus, it varies regionally; it varies by age groups and it goes in and out of fashion very quickly.

If I ever teach slang it’s to help avoid embarrassment, not to use it.

En cambio (on the other hand) I do teach a lot of colloquial language.

Expressions like, en cambio, are used all over the Spanish speaking world by everyone. All age groups use it. All levels of society use it. And it’s been used for years and will continue to be used for years to come.

Colloquial expressions are vital Spanish that you need to know to communicate well and more importantly to understand what Spanish speakers say to you.

I am creating a new series of lessons, audios and email tips called Spanish Beyond the Textbook. It’s exclusively focused on everyday Spanish that you don’t find in the dictionary but you hear on the streets all over the Spanish-speaking world.

Best of all, es pagado por la casa. (It’s on the house)

All you have to do is enter your name and email below to register.

I’ve been told I have houses from Baja California to Acapulco and from Cancun in the Yucatan Peninsula to Mexico City. I have been told I have houses everywhere in Mexico

If only they were really mine…

My wife has friends all over Mexico and each time we visit they keep telling me:

“Estás en tu casa.”
You are in your house.

I am sure you have heard the expression mi casa es tu casa. (My house is your house.)

Estás en tu casa is similar. Although it literally means you are in your house, it’s a friendly way to say “make yourself at home.”

They’re telling me to make myself at home but they definitely didn’t put me on the deed.

Sometimes words don’t mean exactly how they sound. If all you have done is study textbook Spanish it’s easy to get confused by the multitude of phrases just like this. That’s why you need to check out Spanish Beyond the Textbook.

Es pagado por la casa… (it’s on the house)

Spanish Beyond the Textbook is jam packed full of expression just like “estás en tu casa” that could easily cause confusion in a normal Spanish conversation…

Don’t even get me started when Maylo told me, “eres muy cabrón”…

This and many more can be found by joining Spanish Beyond the Textbook. Join today and you’ll receive eBooks, audios and email tips. They’ll help you navigate the Spanish outside the classroom. The real Spanish you’ll hear on the streets, in the cafes and around the towns.