Question for all Spanish speaking user

For the most part Yes, just like you can tell where people are from in english the US, Canada, UK, Australia etc. by their accents.

In most cases, yes. I am not a native spanish speaker but I certainly see the difference between accents among different latinos from different countries. Then within one country alone you have various accents. Ex: I was in colombia and they all sound alike in bogota, but then I met a girl who spoke spanish with a very different accent (almost as if she was italian and learned to speak spanish); she was from medellin, colombia. Same country but completely different accent. The Argentinians speak with an Italian accent. The mexicans, well you know how they speak. Now I am beginning to see a difference between the puerto rican and dominican accents. Mind you, they speak almost alike. Not only they have different accents from different countries but the choice of words one use clearly distinguishes one from the other. Example: The word "party" in dominican slang = "Bonche", but in colombia "bonche" = "fight" and "rumba" = party. Habituela = beans in DR but in mexico Beans = Frejoles. mani = peanuts in DR, puerto rico and even in Colombia but other countries use Cacaguate (?) for peanuts. Go figure.
I hope a dominican can shed more light into this topic.

lavitaebella said:

When talking to people from different countries can you tell where they are from by just paying attention to their accents?

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?Y como no? Usualmente puedo adivinar el pais de origin de gente latinoamericana cuando hablan por su acento y/o su selecci?n de palabras. Y la diferencia en acento entres los espanoles y los latinoamericanos es detectada facilmente. Lo mismo occure en ingl?s -- uno puede detectar la diferencia entre algien del sur de los EUA y algien de Nueva Inglaterra o Nueva York o Oklahoma...Y bueno, el acento de los norteamericanos es completamente distinta del acento de Inglaterra, Escocia, Australia, Nueva Zealand, India, Irlandia, Jamaica, Sud?frica o Trinidad!
A mesma coisa se nota em portugues -- a diferen?a entre um baiano, paulista e maranhense ? distintiva, e a diferen?a entre um brasileiro, portugues e angolano se nota muito mais.
Atentamente/Atenciosamente,
Keith

lavitaebella said:

When talking to people from different countries can you tell where they are from by just paying attention to their accents?

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The people from Spain believe that only the people there speak Spanish. The rest speak something else, such as Caribbean Spanish. They are quick to spot the difference and let you know.

In answer to your question: YES, most definitely I can tell the difference in most cases. I can't always detect wich country a particular person is from, but I can be sure if they're not from DR.

I can also distinguish Puerto Ricans just as well as Dominicans because I've been around Puerto Ricans a lot. Also, Spaniards have their own unique distintive accent which in my opinion is unmistakable.

I have a hard time distinguishing "Spanish" from South American countries. I believe the primary reason for this is, I haven't been around 'them' in great numbers to catch the accent.

All in all, it just depends on someones' life exposure to the different Spanish dialects.

d

Re: Re: Question for all Spanish speaking user

Ken said:

The people from Spain believe that only the people there speak Spanish. The rest speak something else, such as Caribbean Spanish. They are quick to spot the difference and let you know.

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Ken,
I always contended that there were noticeable national differences in the way Spanish is spoken, in accent, speech rythym and word choice. For the longest time my wife contested that assertion, arguing that all "well-educated" people spoke Spanish more or less the same, and if you gathered them all in one room, it would be difficult to tell them apart. She, of course, considers herself well-educated and "taught to speak the correct way," and rightfully so, I believe. And to some extent, she's right -- within Latin America, the speech distinctions blur somewhat among those with top education. But I will never forget how during our visit to Spain she approached a police officer to ask where we could catch so-and-so bus, and he just smiled and said "So you are from the Dominican Republic." Statement, not question. She, startled, asked how could he tell. Him, smiling, replying that it's easy to identify a Dominican when they speak! :laugh: Needless to say, after that it was awhile before she would return to her prior line of argument!
Regards,
Keith

We Cubans are famous for speaking fast and cutting the end of words. Like "ciuda" instead of "ciudad", etc. But in Sevilla they though I was a local; they talk similarly, (though with a different inflection.) LOL. BTW, there is such a thing as la Rumba Gitana.

Absolutely. Piece of cake. Good linguists can place you in your home town. I can't but I can pretty much put you in which part of the DR you are from. Or Spain, or Argentina.

Same for American English.

BTW, have you noticed in the interviews with Diana's butler how different he speaks and his wife? His wife and kids are very low class...In England, once you open your mouth you are classified...
In the DR we have the same thing.

HB

Not only are there differences in the accents, but the pronunciation of certain sounds, like "double l", the Spanish "c" and "z", and most everybody recognizes the Puerto Rican "r's."
Additionally, as AZB mentioned, there are different words and even sayings that distinguish people's home towns.
In Chicago they call it "pop", we call it "soda." They call it a "water fountain", we call it a "bubbler."
Don't ever ask a Brit which team he "roots" for, hey guys? And don't ever suggest to an American lady to "knock them up."
This is a great idea for a book. Or at least a web page... different idioms. Waddaya say Pib? You're the "reina de la red."
mk

Uhhh, Mary? That's la red.....
And lots of stuff has been written on language differences.
In Puerto Rico you can't ask for a "bola" ( a ride or a lift, for you linguistically handicapped folks). nor for cloth with "bolitas" ( cloth with polka-dots). I did the former and my mother in law (GRHS) the latter, both to great laughter and embarassed twitters. Especially for me, since I was in a locker room after a Judo practice session!....in the San Juan YMCA!!
We never use papaya which is the female sex organ, no idea why. We have to use "Lechosa" ....But we have a tiny little town or several, if memory serves, that are called "Papayo. Go figure.

HB, g'day mates!

[B]lavitaebella[/B] said:

Question for all Spanish speaking user: When talking to people from different countries can you tell where they are from by just paying attention to their accents?

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Furthermore, we are able to tell whether you are wearing boxers or briefs.

Yes, even inside a small country like ours there's difference. People from "ei Cibao" speak differently from people from "el Sul". Dominicans have a very different accent from Cubans and Puerto Ricans (our nearest Spanish-speaking neighbors). The funny thing is that we understand each other quite well.

Despite the off-topic answers you have received, I gather that you understand that yes, we can tell the difference.

Considering your name is La Vita E Bella, I take it you know some Italian? Well just like you can tell what part of Italy someone is from based on their accent, you can tell what country someone is from based on their Spanish accent.

Yup, sure can.

On Veteran's Day a couple of weeks ago, my wife and I went shopping in Kankakee, Illinois; then stopped off for a bite to eat. The place serves all-you-want sirloin steak, pork chops, and grilled chicken breasts along with a full buffet. $9 per person.

One of the steak grillers was speaking Spanish which sounded like Dominican to me, so I asked him. He said yes he left the DR about 10 years ago. He was all smiles as he told us he had previously thought he was the only Dominican in Kankakee!

I'm pretty sure my steaks will be grilled to perfection during subsequent visits.

And as Pib said, there are differences within the DR. I lived 2 years in the Cibao and was made aware of the difference between Cibae?o and capitale?o Spanish. I then moved to the southwest (SJM) and found yet another regional variation. It usta drive my wife crazy when the cowhands would refer to the cattle as "vacase" rather than vacas.

Swede