Words, words and more words

Africaida

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Jun 19, 2009
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@Chirimoya

I am surprised you did not have chele on your list. It is authentically 🇩🇴.

As well, billete is very common especially among Spanish speakers from different countries. It is easy to understand.

I have seen the link you referenced. They give a lot examples of words of all variety in Spanish including billete.


-MP.

Chelitos is what I mostly hear in DR :D
 

drstock

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Oct 29, 2010
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One thing that I find difficult is saying "over there" in Spanish. Alli, Por alli, Alla, Ahi (sorry I can't type the appropriate accents). I'm confused about the difference. Any help?
 

althebeast

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Mar 26, 2020
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La Romana
One thing that I find difficult is saying "over there" in Spanish. Alli, Por alli, Alla, Ahi (sorry I can't type the appropriate accents). I'm confused about the difference. Any help?

I'm learning spanish as well and I usually say Por Ahí but it always changes with people. Everyone says something different
 

Marianopolita

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@drstock and althebeast

In general, knowing the difference which one to use has to do with the distance involved. Closest to furthest should determine which one to use. There are slight differences in usage in Latin America but that is the basic grammar rule.

Have a look at the first two paragraphs and the chart in the link below:




-MP.
 
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Marianopolita

Former Spanish forum Mod 2010-2021
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I just read two blogs during my morning read of news and random articles.

To add to the list of words for money:

cobre(s) used in Venezuela. Then I checked the Iist provided in the thread and it’s there.


Another word that varies in Spanish is:

Snack

Merienda standard

You will also hear pasaboca (if you go in a grocery in Colombia you will see that word in the snack aisle). That word I knew.

I just learned this word now pasapalo which is the Venezuelan equivalent.
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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I always thought merienda meant an afternoon snack, like English afternoon tea, but realised that on this side of the pond it means a snack at any time of the day. There's also refrigerio (as in refreshments). Bocadillos or bocaditos are other words for snacks but more in the sense of picaderas (buffet food). Bocadillo also means sandwich in some places.

And talking of sandwiches - montado or montadito is a kind of sandwich in Spain.
 

Marianopolita

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@Chiri

Merienda as in what people eat as a snack is what I am referring to. For ex, chips, chocolate bars, pretzels, cookies etc. and not necessarily the time of day although it used in that context as well. Also common is the word tentempié.
 

Fulano2

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Chips, cookies etc. is more known as “picaderas”. Merienda is more something really prepared. A sandwich, hamburger, chimichurri...
 
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Marianopolita

Former Spanish forum Mod 2010-2021
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Which side of the pond are you on? Is your Spanish vocabulary more typical of Spain or Latin America or a mix of both?

I found this nice list of words comparing Spain vs Latin America. First of all the blog is from Spain that is important to note and then some of the equivalent words for Latin America are definitely regional and not used in all of LA. I recognize them although they are not universal across all of Latin America. Overall, it is a good mini language blog that compares Spanish to English, French and Italian.

Look at #23, #25, #30, #34. #36 on the Spain side- hucha. I was not familiar with that word at all. #40 chamarra that is not used all over Latin America, #44 choclo. I have never heard of that word for corn in LA and #43 zapallo for calabaza in LA. I have never heard that word zapallo in LA. There are more. This is one of many aspects that makes Spanish so enriching.



-MP.
 
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Marianopolita

Former Spanish forum Mod 2010-2021
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La jama- a very local word meaning food in Cuba.

For example, la única preocupación de los cubanos es la jama.



-MP.
 

drstock

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@drstock and althebeast

In general, knowing the difference which one to use has to do with the distance involved. Closest to furthest should determine which one to use. There are slight differences in usage in Latin America but that is the basic grammar rule.

Have a look at the first two paragraphs and the chart in the link below:




-MP.
Thanks. Very helpful. But when do you put "por" before aqui, alli etc?
 

Marianopolita

Former Spanish forum Mod 2010-2021
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Thanks. Very helpful. But when do you put "por" before aqui, alli etc?

Por aquí, por allí are idiomatic expressions meaning fixed expressions. If you say por aquí it means this way.

Come this way= ven por aquí. If you want say ‘come here‘= ven aquí.

You can’t change fixed expressions. You need to understand the meaning.

 
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Marianopolita

Former Spanish forum Mod 2010-2021
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Corner store:

Colmado
Bodega
Tienda de la esquina
Pulpería - in Central America
Mercado - in some places. It would be very specific
Abarrotería - in Panama for sure
 

Chirimoya

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Corner store:

Colmado
Bodega
Tienda de la esquina
Pulpería - in Central America
Mercado - in some places. It would be very specific
Abarrotería - in Panama for sure
Minimarket, mini-mercado - Anglicisms
Marqueta in Puerto Rico - Spanglish for market.
In Spain - venta - mainly for roadside shops, like parador in the DR. A parador in Spain is a specific type of hotel.
Estanco is another word meaning tobacconist rather than corner shop, but there is one on practically every street or corner in Spain.
 

Marianopolita

Former Spanish forum Mod 2010-2021
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Minimarket, mini-mercado - Anglicisms
Marqueta in Puerto Rico - Spanglish for market.
In Spain - venta - mainly for roadside shops, like parador in the DR. A parador in Spain is a specific type of hotel.
Estanco is another word meaning tobacconist rather than corner shop, but there is one on practically every street or corner in Spain.

Minimarket, mini-mercado I have seen but ironically not in bilingual cities where English and Spanish co-exist. I have never even seen minimarket in Miami where I would expect to see an English variation. Another word is simply tiendecita.

Estanco
is typically a tobacco shop but it can also be just a small store.
 
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