?C?mo t? est?s?

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mariel

Dominisueca
Apr 7, 2004
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It's recently caught my attention that the phrase "?c?mo t? est?s?", very common among dominicans (I don't know if this is common in other countries), is wrong and instead it should be "?C?mo est?s (t?)?".

So I have a few questions about this:

1) Where does this wrong form come from?
2) Why does it only happen with "t?", because as far as I know, we say "?c?mo est?n ustedes?", "?c?mo est? tu familia/tu hermana/?l?"

Thanks in advance.
 

LatinoRican

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Apr 11, 2004
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Look to the North!

It could be an anglicism from the English "How are you?" Or the 'tu' may be simply added to express emphasis about knowing how the other person is doing. In Spanish, the subject (tu, ustedes) may be omitted. Also, when ending a telephone conversation, I have heard many Dominicans and PRs saying, "Te llamo para atr?s." from the English "I'll call you back." which is totally incorrect in Spanish. Another example I have heard is when someone addresses a group or assembly, that person usually begins by saying, "Buenos d?as a todos!" when a simple "Buenos d?as!" would be enough unless there is someone present which he/she does not particularly like. I believe this also comes from the English "Good morning to everyone!" In general, I think these language uses (or misuses) are all a result of our relationship with our neighbors to the north. :tired:
 

Mirador

On Permanent Vacation!
Apr 15, 2004
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"Como tu ta" "To t? bien", "tu t? pasao", "tu t? caliente" "tu t? friquiao",



mariel said:
It's recently caught my attention that the phrase "?c?mo t? est?s?", very common among dominicans (I don't know if this is common in other countries), is wrong and instead it should be "?C?mo est?s (t?)?".

So I have a few questions about this:

1) Where does this wrong form come from?
2) Why does it only happen with "t?", because as far as I know, we say "?c?mo est?n ustedes?", "?c?mo est? tu familia/tu hermana/?l?"

Thanks in advance.
 

Marianopolita

Former Spanish forum Mod 2010-2021
Dec 26, 2003
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Speech Patterns vs. Pr?stamos

"c?mo t? est?s" = "speech pattern"

Placing 't?' before the verb instead of after the verb in questions is a trademark of Caribbean Spanish. This speech pattern is a deeply rooted syntax structure in Dominican Spanish and it crosses all social classes. This one and many others are characteristics and in fact vestiges of the speech patterns of the African slaves that inhabited the island centuries ago that is now considered a dialect of the Spanish language. Speech patterns and syntax structure prevalent in Spanish that are particular to a country, region or social class that are outside the norm of the Spanish language are considered a dialect. This speech pattern is not common in all Spanish speaking countries as far as sociolinguistic fieldwork studies reveal. This pattern is specific to the DR, PR and Cuba. In my own personal experience (studies, fieldwork etc.) I support and agree with the socio-linguistic research that I have encountered.

Mariel there are many other examples of this speech pattern which is so inherent in many people's way of speaking that they do not hear the difference until someone points it out to them. For example- Qu? t? piensas, que t? crees, de d?nde t? eres and the list goes on. Como hablamos los dominicanos which is a book in a PDF format in the sticky in this forum gives a great explanation although not exhaustive as to the suggested reason for this speech pattern. I highly recommend reading the chapter that details this example and many others.


"te llamo pa'tras"= "pr?stamo del ingl?s"

Phrases such as "te llamo pa'tras" are called "pr?stamos". These phrases are borrowed from English and used in colloquial speech but don't make sense to a Spanish speaker who does not speak English and usually present difficulty in comprehension. "Pr?stamos" are borrowed, translated literally and used in everyday Spanish or borrowed, translated and also 'espa?olizados' to sound Spanish phonetically and used in everyday speech thus replacing formal Spanish vocabulary and phrases.

Other examples:

Nouns

application form ----> pr?stamo = aplicaci?n. Formal Spanish -----> formulario
card ----> pr?stamo = carta (which is 'letter'). Formal Spanish ------> tarjeta
gang -----> pr?stamo = ganga (which means 'bargain'. I hear this often too). Formal Spanish ----> pandilla
paragraph ----> pr?stamo =paragrafo (I hear this one quite often). Formal Spanish ----> p?rrafo
question (as in inquiry) ----> pr?stamo = cuesti?n (this has a different meaning in Spanish). Formal Spanish -----> pregunta.

Verbs

to attend -----> pr?stamo = atender. Formal Spanish ----> asistir
to check -----> pr?stamo = chequear. Formal Spanish ----> revisar
to give back ----> pr?stamo = dar para atr?s. Formal Spanish ----> devolver
to gain weight ----> pr?stamo = ganar peso. Formal Spanish -----> engordar, aumentar de peso

Mariel there are many more examples of pr?stamos that are either nouns, verbs or short phrases that have been incorporated into Spanish spoken in the US and are penetrating gradually into Spanish speaking countries. You may be interested in this book Spanish in the United States: Sociolinguistic Issues by editor John Bergen. It has very insightful information. I will chat with you behind the scenes regarding other references.


LDG.
 
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trina

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Jan 3, 2002
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Thanks, Lesley, for the well-thought-out lesson. I aspire to learn as much as you have learned some day. Keep up the excellent work.
 
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