Not a joke, not that serious. For Dominicanos only

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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Unless your Spanish is real good. However, you might learn something...

?Qu? Significa ?Vaina??

Estaba yo trabajando cuando una compa?era de trabajo ( Dominicana ) me dijo de ir a comer juntas a una cafeter?a ( Dominicana ) y que fu?ramos acompa?adas de otros dos compa?eros Mexicanos.
Estando ya en el lugar digo: ...?bueno, yo voy a pedir chivo guisao, aqu? esa vaina debe ser muy buena, adem?s yo no puedo comer arroz, ni las otras vainas porque estoy a dieta?.

...mi?ntras, uno de los Mexicanos, se queda mir?ndome y me dice: ?Oye s?lo por curiosidad; ...Qu? significa la palabra vaina??

...a lo que yo le contest?: ...?Bueno compadre esa vaina no es tan f?cil de explicar, s?lo un dominicano puede entender lo que significa esa vaina cuando se dice, ...pero de todas maneras te voy a explicar esa vaina de la manera mas f?cil para que puedas entender un poco la vaina?.

? Hay veces que uno no esta de acuerdo con una cosa y decimos: ?esa vaina no ta,? ...cuando la mujer de un dominicano est? molestando mucho se le dice ?mira deja la vaina oiste?, ?tu en estos d?as estas muy vaina con uno?.

?Cuando uno quiere que le pasen un objeto, una cosa, algo, el Dominicano dice ...?p?same esa vaina?; pero lo curioso del caso es que la otra persona sin saber lo que es, entiende lo que es la vaina.?

?Cuando vemos algo chul?simo decimos; ?tu viste esa vaina?? ...Pero si alguien nos esta molestando decimos; ?hey deja la vaina!?.

Si la situaci?n esta mala en el argot dominicano lo correcto es decir: ...?la vaina esta mala? y si esta buena: ...?co?o esta vaina se esta arreglando?.

En los talleres es com?n o?r: ?Oye chequ?ate el carro que le esta sonando una vaina, es el ruido de una vaina rara?.

?Y a medida que mi amigo Mexicano se sorprend?a por las vainas que yo le dec?a pensaba dentro de mi ...bueno y para que le estoy explicando esta vaina a este Mexicano que no va a entender esta vaina, ...de todos modos para entender esta vaina, usted tiene que ser dominicano!!!?

Bueno s?lo quise compartir esta vaina con ustedes y si les gusto p?senla a sus amigos y sino, borren esta vaina.


I do hope a few of you enjoyed this ling?istic journey..

HB
 

MrMike

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Mar 2, 2003
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www.azconatechnologies.com
I think the mystery of "vaina" is over-rated, Americans use "stuff" and "that sh!t" for the same thing. Mexicans use "onda" in a similar way, albeit much less frequently than Dominicans.

Very simple really, a slang term for "thing".

Isn't that about right?
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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Good stuff!

In El Salvador they say "chunche" for object and "volao" for thing, more or less equivalent to "vaina".

Chiri
 

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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MrMike and Chiri are right. Each nationality has its own word for "thing" or "object", and for many other things as well. Is equally true in the US from region to region.
 

mkohn

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Jan 1, 2002
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HB, how fun!
I was thinking using 'thing' to interpret the meaning of 'vaina' is too politically correct, because we don't talk like that in casual conversation.
For example:
"Cut that s&*t out." "I can't eat that crap." "That is some weird s&*t!" etc.
It's not always s&*t...
?tu en estos d?as estas muy vaina con uno?. would be:
"Lately, you've been a real b&*ch towards me."
"Que vaina" might mean "What the f%^k!"
So, students, as HB has demonstrated so well, "vaina" is a very versatile allbeit crude word used in every day Dominican Spanish.
mk
no holds barred translator of vaina (minutia):)
 

marmar

New member
Jan 1, 2004
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italian thing

My husband is italian and every second word his family says is "cosa" as in cosa nostre (our thing). Pardon my spelling. I was in the dr last week and though it rained for 3 days, It was paradise as always. I was born and bred in manitoba - water was often a problem - heat was coal and the outhouse was homey so the dr holds no surprises. Anyways I'm getting off topic.

Laurie
 

carolinet

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Oct 21, 2003
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In Ireland we use 'yoke' in much the same way, ;)

E.g. Would you mind passing me that yoke? How much does that yoke in the window cost? etc...

Do you know that the real meaning of 'vaina' is 'sheath' or 'scabbard', as in the cover for a knife or sword. That's why they say 'echando vainas' for messing with somebody or causing trouble. Touching or taking out your 'vaina' was (sounds a bit kinky when you think of the modern meaning!!!), obviously, a sign of agression (same goes for 'en estos d?as est?s muy vaina' - negative connotations) Obviously with time they started using it to mean different things.

It's funny, because, even though it's not a vulgar word, as such, it doesn't seem to be too well received by a lot of people. For example, my friend Rafael can't say 'vaina' in his parents house (or 'co?o', for that matter, but that I can understand!).

Co?o, ?que vaina m?s larga que acabo de escribir! Hope it wasn't too boring!

Besos
 

Jane J.

ditz
Jan 3, 2002
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Columbians also say "vaina" (me lleva el o me lo llevo yo, pa' que se acabe la vaina...

The fact that green beans are called "vainitas" also makes me laugh.
 

Talldrink

El Mujeron
Jan 7, 2004
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Reventon!

I heard a commercial that reminded me of this, the way Mexicans use the word Reventon. At the end of the whole conversation they ended up asking the question again, Que es un Reventon??
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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Jane J. said:
The fact that green beans are called "vainitas" also makes me laugh.

I think the literal meaning of vaina is "pod" - hence vainilla.

Chiri