Tambi?n?

[InsanelyOne]

I'm familiar with the textbook usage of tambi?n in the context of "also" or "me too". I also hear it used in ways that make no sense to me. Here's two recent examples:

Me: "Come by the house to pick up the 100 pesos I owe you."
Motoconcho: "Tambi?n."

Me: {Walking my dog}
Passerby: "Perro tambi?n?"

What the hell does that mean? The context of the one when I was walking my dog was that he wanted to know if the dog was friendly.

 

[Matilda]

Maybe the motoconcho driver is saying "tabien" short for esta bien i.e. OK, that's fine?

Matilda

 

[InsanelyOne]

Makes sense. This mumble-spanish they speak here drives me nuts. I find if I enunciate properly they don't understand me but if I mumble they get it.

 

[Harleysrock]

Makes sense. This mumble-spanish they speak here drives me nuts. I find if I enunciate properly they don't understand me but if I mumble they get it.

I try to speak proper spanish, the wife understands but locals never do, it's better if i just speak to English...jaja

 

[peep2]

Another case of the famously missing or silent Dominican "S".

 

[rogerjac]

I think both examples sound like they should be....esta bien

 

[dv8]

or to' ta' bien? if a question (todo esta bien)

yes, people mumble a lot. i find that if i am spoken to suddenly and out of context most of the time i did not understand a single word. literally. not that i miss the meaning, i just do not know what words have been said at all. it does not help that i tend to drift away from reality and my brain notes the interruption half way into the sentence spoken.

 

[AlterEgo]

Back in the 70's when I first got married, I had the exact same issue. They sounded the same to me too. Then I learned about the dropping of the 's' and how "Esta bien" becomes " 'ta bien" and how it sounds almost exactly like tambien.

 

[kaykat18987]

i agree with the (ta bien) cause tambien wouldnt makes sence at all for the 100 pesos. and if it was tambien for the dog....could of been (tambien) in the sence that he never saw you with a dog and tambien,meaning ..... you ALSO have a dog

 

[Viajero]

Motoconcho: "Tambi?n."

Listen closely. He is saying esta bien/ "ta bien." Words get shortened in everyday common use. This isn't Colombia.

 

[donP]

Native Speaker

Motoconcho: "Tambi?n."
Passerby: "Perro tambi?n?"
What the hell does that mean?

Ask Chip. :classic:

donP