Terms of Endearment

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MangoBear

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So it seems that it's common to call everyone "mi amor" or "chulo/a" whether they're your wife, husband, friend, cousin, or a waitress at a restaurant. Are there any terms commonly reserved ONLY for husbands, wives, lovers, etc.?

For example, to my gringo ears it sounds kind of odd for a man to call his sister-in-law "mi reina," but do I just not get it? Like in English, I know a man can't really call a woman "baby" unless they're in a romantic relationship. Anything similar "rules" in Spanish?

Also, what's the difference between "te quiero" and "te amo" and for which audiences (mom, wife, kids, friends, etc.)? Thanks!
 
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Castle

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For all I know, there are no rules, really. You can call total strangers "mi amor", "mi cielo", "mi corazon", whatever, if you want anything from them (help, attention, etc). Tipically your female partner will not like you to say this stuff to other women in her presence and some ladies (very few, actually) will not like you to call them that if they don't know you, but that's about it.
About "te quiero" and "te amo"...well, the latter is supposed to be stronger, reserved only for a real love. But it's not like that anymore. You can even see two young female friends saying that to each other, so to me there is not any difference anymore. That's why I think there are no rules today.
 
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Lucifer

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You can call your woman "mi negra" even if she's as white as DR1's Onions&Carrots.

I have two cousins who answer to "gordo" even though they are no longer fat babies. I have a cousin we call "Negro" because he has dark skin. Knew a man known as Pancho Pata Fina because he had skinny legs, and a woman known as Mirtha Culo Loco for obvious reasons. A friend of mine answers to Caco 'e Vaca, and another cousin is married to a woman known as Cara 'e Puerco.
 
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Castle

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Derfish said:
In some Miami Spanish chucha refers to dog doo doo on the sidewalk. But I met a gal from somewhere who was introduced as Chucha. I asked someone in private whether I had heard correctly before repeating it.
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Chucho is "short" for Jesus, I think. I don't know about Chucha...I've heard of La Chucha, though, but that's probably unrelated...
 
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MangoBear

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Very interesting. Thanks for your responses.

Do people get called "blanco/a" as a term of affection as well? Or it's just "negro/a"?

Good to know brother- and sister-in-law aren't in love with each other.
 
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Lucifer

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Well, Pepe is short for Jos?. Pepe is an innocent term for bicho, guevo, tolete, macana, and its formal name, pene.
 
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Marianopolita

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Dec 26, 2003
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With terms of endearment- hay que tener cuidado. Some of them are very regional and distinct to a certain Latin country. It's like fruits and vegetables. You have to know your stuff. A good way to learn is to observe the way the locals use these terms and the context. As well, ask people what terms mean and if it's appropriate to say xyz. This is a good first step in understanding how to use them. Of course, usage will vary by speaker (for obvious reasons) but some usage is standard in its respective context.

An example is right in this thread- the word chucha. Be careful with that one in Panama. Check out the meaning. You will not refer to any woman as chucha.


-MP.
 
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mbgmike

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you guys like to live dangerously jajajajaa I do not try out many things with my wife. unless she uses that term. Don't ever say a woman is HOT that will get you in big trouble jajajajaj
 
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MangoBear

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I was thinking more in terms of interacting with Dominicans, and what terms of endearment are considered acceptable or "the norm." When I have hung out with Dominican friends (in a Dominican neighborhood in NYC), I've heard male friends call female waitresses "mi amor" and I was surprised my friends weren't slapped. Then, I heard the brother-in-law call his sister-in-law "mi reina."

I won't even try to understand the "rules" in other countries! Ha!
 
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Lucifer

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It's not unusual to be called coraz?n, mi amor, or querido, by bank tellers, waitresses and the like.
 
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Lucifer

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Y yo respondo to ya llegu? a ueteliunion... ?Cu?nto me mandaste, maldito pariguayo del diablo?
 
AlterEgo

AlterEgo

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MangoBear said:
Do people get called "blanco/a" as a term of affection as well? Or it's just "negro/a"?
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I've never heard anyone called blanco/a. I HAVE heard them call light skinned/white people called "rubia/o", even if they aren't blonde, so I think it's often referring to their skin.

A sister-in-law calls everyone by terms of endearment, she's a particularly sweet woman, and coming from her no one could possibly be offended. Her husband calls her 'rubia' all the time, she's as light as me and has light brown hair.
 
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Como_un_cameron

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AlterEgo said:
I've never heard anyone called blanco/a. I HAVE heard them call light skinned/white people called "rubia/o", even if they aren't blonde, so I think it's often referring to their skin.

A sister-in-law calls everyone by terms of endearment, she's a particularly sweet woman, and coming from her no one could possibly be offended. Her husband calls her 'rubia' all the time, she's as light as me and has light brown hair.
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When I was bringing my wife kids to school. The ice cream vendor called mi rubio too.
Rubio or rubia is what they call you when your hair isn't black.
It has nothing to do with the color of your skin, just the color of your hair, and especially when you got a pony tail.
 
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Lucifer

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Como_un_cameron said:
When I was bringing my wife kids to school. The ice cream vendor called mi rubio too.
Rubio or rubia is what they call you when your hair isn't black.
It has nothing to do with the color of your skin, just the color of your hair, and especially when you got a pony tail.
Click to expand...

Are you sure about that? Of course you aren't: many light-skinned folks are called rubio/a in the D.R. EVEN if they have dark-colored hair.
 
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